2020 Fugitive
by HotChilliGriffin
Summary: Set in the year 2020, and Austalia is now under the rule of a dictator. Special police called "Alphae" are on patrol, looking for those who might be a threat - ex-ADF, for example. MK pairing with "meister" cameos. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Dedicated to the AAFWSS.**

**2020 – Fugitive, chapter one**

* * *

_Electricity?_ Kate suppressed a bitter laugh. _Those were the days._ She squinted at the scraps of paper they were using for kindling. On the closest piece, she could just make out her name. She struggled to make the paper light, as the match burned; any second it would reach her fingers, and she would have to drop it. Just then, the small flame caught, and she watched as the words 'passed with distinction' disappeared in a rush of yellow-red heat.

There was a footfall behind her, and she stiffened. But you can't spend six years on the run with someone and not learn a little about their moods or needs. Mike stepped forward, dropped a pile of blankets he had scavenged from upstairs onto the floor, and didn't say a thing.

The house was empty except for the two humans and their small fire. Kate carefully fed it a few sticks, and then pushed it onto the wood. An electric light clung to the ceiling above their heads like a hanged prisoner – silent, still, and cold.

"What do you think happened here?" Kate asked. They had searched the house when they had arrived, and she had been ecstatic to find a bottle of cooking oil. It would help start the fire, and save her the laborious task of slowly adding bigger and bigger chunks of wood. The wood they had obtained by smashing one of the carved dining room chairs. Kate guessed they would need to destroy another before the night was over.

"Someone got them," Mike replied, trying not to look at the blood stain near the door. The fire was situated in the middle of what had once been the living room, sitting on top of several trays they had pulled from the kitchen to stop it from spreading around the room. Mike's eyes wandered the new location, for a moment resting on a baby's crib. There was blood on the blanket.

"Alphae," he added, looking away in disgust.

"The Allies aren't anywhere near here," Kate pointed out, then changed the subject. "How long do you think we can stay? There's enough food for a week or two."

"We'll take some of it. We should probably leave tomorrow," he decided. She sighed, and he rubbed her back, as they pulled themselves closer to the fire. They would need the blankets during the night, when the temperature dropped to only two or three degrees above freezing.

"The Allies will beat them back, eventually," he reassured her. "We just need to survive a little longer..."

"It's been six _years_!" she exclaimed in reply, ducking her head in embarrassment when she realised her voice had broken the whisper-rule. They were squatters in someone else's house. Not that those people would be returning... but the ones who had taken them, the Alphae, might always swing through the district again. Especially if the neighbours reported voices in the empty building.

"They haven't caught us yet," Mike pointed out. "And they're not going to. We stay on our guard, and keep moving..."

"Until the war is over," she finished. It was a conversation they had had many times. "Maybe we should have tried to get out of the country. Get somewhere better, somewhere safer, like Indonesia or Papua. I don't think we'd get to America."

"They're patrolling the borders. Couldn't buy a boat, couldn't get on a plane..."

"I know. I know..."

"They're patrolling the seas with our boat," he muttered. She shuffled sideways, and leaned her head against his chest.

"Would you rather be there with them?" she asked, hesitant.

"No!" he hissed, whisper laced with venom. "I'd sink her myself to see them drown..."

"Could be a plan..." she replied softly, and he couldn't tell whether she was joking.

"Not on our own. We're too small."

She nodded. They couldn't affect the war effort unless they joined the Alphae, which they had both sworn never to do – for a start, the Alphae were the enemy, so it wouldn't really help their cause. The Allies wouldn't take them, because there was no way of knowing whose side the pair was really on.

Of course, there were rumours of the Resistance Fighters. But whether such a group actually existed or whether they were just an Alphae-created trap remained to be seen. Mike knew that if they were real, he and Kate would certainly want to join them – but without firm evidence, they wasn't going anywhere that could put them in the hands of either Alphae or Allie.

"Walking south is too slow," Kate said, holding her hands out to the fire. Already it was getting colder, even though the sun had only gone down an hour ago.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. The only safe place is the desert."

"Be warmer, at least," he murmured, mimicking her position and trying to keep the cold away from his hands.

"Maybe. But how do we get there? Walking through the desert... not smart."

"Unless we took the Thieves' tunnel," he suggested slowly.

"Could we afford it?" she asked. "Maybe..."

Originally, the underground train tunnels had been taken over by the Alphae, to help restrict movement around the country. Then, a band of heavily armed hostiles had attacked a small tunnel, killing the Alphae inside and using it as their hiding place. Similar groups took over the other tunnels, until the Alphae couldn't access the underground at all. Anyone who ventured down was attacked and robbed. Later, however, the tithe system was introduced, allowing people to travel through the tunnel safely in exchange for food goods and other valuable necessities. It was a high price, however, and not entirely safe.

Preferring to avoid other people, Mike and Kate were yet to attempt passage through it. There was no way of telling whether someone was an Ally, an Alphae, a civilian or a fugitive.

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Mike decided. Kate's hooded eyes stared into the dancing flames, and he watched her sadly. After a minute, he realised that the glitter effect on her face wasn't a reflection of the fire, but the steady trickle of tears down her cheeks. Beneath the thick wood was the remains of the paper kindling. His jaw tightened, and he pulled her to his side, holding her close as she suppressed a sob.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I keep trying to tell myself, it was just a piece of paper..."

"We could have found something else..." he said uncertainly.

"Because that's all it was. A piece of paper," she said forcefully, pushing him away, straightening her back. "Dead weight."

"Your ADFA graduation certificate," he pointed out. She shrugged.

"Like it's helping me now. In fact, it was probably dangerous to have with us. Could tell anyone who we are, if they..."

"They won't find us," he promised. "You'll feel better in the morning."

It was an empty promise, but Kate nodded, and they quickly organised the blankets he had gathered into layers without another word, and lay down together. It was colder now, so cold they could both see their breath misting in the air, and their extremities were growing numb.

"We'll check out upstairs some more. Need some new clothes," Kate pointed out. Mike grunted in agreement.

Before long, they had fallen into a light sleep, ready to wake and take action, or run, at the slightest disturbance.


	2. Chapter 2

**2020 – Fugitive, part two**

_Six years ago_

_Marshall came to talk to him personally, deliver the warning himself._

"_They've had Canberra for a month. They took Sydney last week, and yesterday, attacked Brisbane. They're going for the capitals and then moving out."_

"_I'm not running," Mike repeated. How many times did he have to say that?_

"_Mike, get out now. If they get here, which they certainly will, they'll either conscript you or kill you."_

"_The only reason they've come this far is because no-one will stand up to them."_

"_They're unstoppable. Stand up and fight, and you die. Mike, just get out!"_

"_No."_

"_Take Kate. Run. Hide. I've heard that the US are already planning a counter-strike, reinstate the government."_

"_It might be too late by then..."_

"_It'll be too bloody late if you let them kill you! Or is that it? You want to stay at sea so badly, you don't care who your commander is..."_

"_No!"_

"_Then stop being an idiot, and get out while you still can. I'm sorry Mike."_

_There was silence. Mike struggled to accept the idea of running from the coming threat. The same action most of the crew had taken weeks ago, and he had cursed them for._ How could this have happened?_ he asked himself. An uprising, here in Oz. The government, demolished. The coup had been well planned, well organised._

_An actual war. Soldiers fighting, dying. Blood spilled in parliament house..._

"_Where to?" he asked eventually._

"_I'm taking the wife and kids, we're headed to Perth... into hiding. New identities. So far, they're not hurting civilians. Don't let anyone, ever, know that you're Navy, or they'll kill you. While you're a threat, you're an enemy. Don't trust anyone." Marshall paused. "I hope I see you again, when all this is over."_

* * *

They now lived in a country run by Ace Downey – the dictator who had instigated a coup on the world's largest island, and succeeded. It was a society policed by men called Alpha, plural Alphae – the best. The original leaders and defenders were now fugitives, or glory hounds in the new order.

The other first-world countries were attempting to reinstate control to the democracy; an international coordinated effort involving America, France, Russia, Germany, England, Italy, and China – the Allies.

The civilians mostly lived their lives as before the coup. However, if they saw Allied troops or any of the National Targets – fugitives, for whatever reason – they were required to report the sighting. Some did, and were treated well in return, given certain privileges. Others didn't, and if found out, were killed. Gradually, the stability was regained, despite the lingering number of fugitives, the Thieves' Tunnel, and the surprise attacks of the Allies. Some, like Mike and Kate, managed to survive through constant movement, good instincts, and a bit of luck.

The third world war began in 2014. Six years later, it was still going, and despite what Mike said, there was no end in sight. The Alphae were outnumbered, but through good strategy and defence were keeping most of the country under their control.

Allied troops were already regrouping down south, near Sydney, but hadn't been able to get the locals – most who lived in fear of retribution, some who actually celebrated the new order – on side, and were constantly being ambushed and turned back.

Melbourne was now under Allied control, the first success. That had been Mike's original idea as a destination, despite the fact that they were walking, and had to always be on the lookout for Alphae. They were currently in a town called Wongee, near the Northern Territory/Queensland border.

To make matters worse, the decline of the climate over the past ten to fifteen years meant that the winters were frigid, and the summers unbearably hot.

It was this cold that woke Kate around midnight. She blinked, and sat up. The fire had nearly burned down, and she knew she should build it up. But that would mean leaving the relative warmth of the thick blankets, and the comforting weight of Mike's body.

Suddenly, there was a noise at the edge of her consciousness. The slight tinkle of broken glass. Not knowing whether it was the sound of a threat or not, she woke Mike. They had agreed long ago that there was no such thing as too careful. He sat up beside her, and she made a quick motion with her hands – a signal, meaning, _listen_.

They moved away from the fire, ears straining for any sound. There was a crunching sound. _Inside _the house. Someone was walking down the hall, towards their hiding spot.

"_There's someone here!_" Kate hissed fearfully.


	3. Chapter 3

**2020 – Fugitive, part three**

Kate felt her heart quiver uncertainly, breaking the normal iambic rhythm. With a quick gesture, Mike moved out in front of her, edging around the room. They were both absolutely silent, eyes wide open and pupils flicking around constantly, capturing every ray of light, seeing as much as was physically possible. He reached the doorway, held up one hand. The both listened.

_Two_, she signed to him, hearing the tread of a second person's shoes. He shook his head.

_Three_, he corrected. She paused, every sense heightened. Yes, he was right.

They had created the hand signals several years before, and could communicate lengthy problems and solutions through it silently. They had decided not to use standard sign language, as that could be interpreted by other people.

_Back door_, he motioned, peering around the doorway, into the hall. He couldn't see anyone, and quickly ducked through to the dining room, Kate on his heels. He could see the back door, and it appeared unguarded – but his instincts were screaming at him not to move in front of it.

_I feel danger_, he told Kate. She nodded.

_Me too. Back door's blocked._

His eyes flickered uncertainly. Front door had already been accessed by someone. Back door was guarded. He gestured at the laundry, slightly up the hall at to their right. She cocked her head, confused.

_Just do it_, he said. Knowing they didn't have time to discuss plans, she nodded, and he flattened himself against the wall. He inched his way towards the small opening. He could still hear the three intruders near the front of the house, checking each room as they passed. It would be impossible to get past them.

_They know we're here_, Kate thought, swallowing. _Someone must have seen or heard us coming in. They're Alphae, for sure..._

Casting aside her indecisions, she followed Mike, and ducked inside the laundry. She instantly understood his plan – the laundry shoot was connected to the upstairs bedroom, and was large enough for them to climb up. But they couldn't do it silently, or even quietly. As soon as they tried, the hunters would know exactly where they were, if not what they were trying to do.

Mike quickly signed the rest of the plan to her, and she nodded. This was going to be close. If they made it at all.

She took a few deep breaths. He wanted her to go first. She could see the top of the shaft above her head, maybe a metre and a half. Gritting her teeth, she jumped, her feet banging the side of the shaft. It was a tight squeeze, but after hooking her arms over the top, and bracing herself against the sides, she was able to haul herself up.

There was a clatter downstairs, and she moved out of the way as Mike pulled himself up. The chute was only just wide enough for his larger frame to fit through.

The Alphae inside the house ran to investigate the noise, but Mike was already out of the chute and on the second floor of the unfamiliar house. He quickly slammed shut the hatch to stop the Alphae from following.

"This way," he hissed. They were in the main bedroom, and he grabbed some of the thin sheets from the bed – the blankets were still downstairs. There was the thunk of boots on carpet, as the Alphae cautiously made their way up the stairs. Before they could get there, Mike chucked the sheets at the stairwell.

He was rewarded with a startled shout, as the sheet covered the lead Alpha. The man flailed in the darkness, unable to see what was covering him, and in his panic fired a few rounds from his Targa – a gun, similar to a semi-automatic, that could sense movement and auto-focused. Half a dozen rubber bullets bounced harmlessly off the ceiling.

_They're trying to capture, not kill_, Mike quickly signed to Kate, as the Alpha regained his balance, ripping the sheet off his head. One of the street lights outside was shining into the room, lighting up her face, and he could clearly read the tension and fear.

_Move!_ he gestured, and she snapped back into action mode, following him stealthily into the second bedroom. There, he aimed straight for the window, and pushed it open, trying to remain quiet but failing as the hinge squeaked deafeningly. He cast an anxious look beneath them, and finding that the coast was clear, he slipped out, fingers gripping the brick work. Bracing for the impact, he released his hold, and a second later, hit the grass with a soft thud. He staggered slightly, and righted himself, gesturing for Kate to come down.

She copied his motion, but misjudged the distance to the ground, and stumbled, one knee jarring painfully. She ignored it, and together they edged towards the road. The plan had been to get away from the house – now that they were out, they were out of ideas.

Suddenly, a shout echoed behind them, and without looking back they both started running, full pelt, in the direction that happened to be in front of them.

At the end of the block they jumped left, hearing the clomp of about six pairs of boots in pursuit. There was the_ pop-pop_ of the Targa guns, and they both jumped sideways, hearing the bullets bounce off the ground. The rubber bullets weren't able to penetrate anything solid, but caused a huge bruise, and could even break a bone if aimed well. Bullets – rubber or metal – fired from a Targa moved a little more slowly through the air, because the gun employed a gas-propulsion system. This meant they could also be fired underwater.

It gave the fugitives a split second between hearing the gun fire and the bullets reaching them. Except that time gap was getting smaller as their pursuers slowly gained. The cold was finally beginning to seep through the adrenaline, and their reflexes were slowing.

"We need... to find... somewhere... to hide!" Kate yelled as they ran, her breath coming in short gasps. The air was too cold to breathe properly, and she felt like she was suffocating. Mike wasn't doing much better.

"Left! Now!" he shouted, and she immediately dodged sideways. The trust they had was essential – there was no way they could depend on each other for survival without trust of the highest order. So when he said to turn left, she turned, immediately.

The ground disappeared, and she tripped. He'd seen the bridge coming, and steered them over to one side as they reached it. For a few seconds, they slid down the steep bank, before coming to rest in the frozen water at the bottom. It cracked when their combined weight hit it, and an instant later, they were knee deep in frigid water.

"Move," Mike insisted. Shouts came from behind them. Kate forced herself to keep walking along the side of the river. She was shivering so hard her tongue was constantly being bitten, and her unprotected hands and face were turning grey in colour. Her fingers and toes had lost all feeling.

Another shout, closer. She cast an urgent look behind them. There was the occasional _pop_ of the Targas, but she guessed the Alphae were just firing randomly. They didn't speak. Someone could still be listening.

After a while, Mike guided them away from the river bank, and through the streets. They had no choice but to keep moving until they were far away from the small town. Only now they had no supplies, no spare clothes, and no money. Everything they had owned was back in the house, now swarming with Alphae.

"Someone must have seen us," Kate said dejectedly, her voice a quiet hiss in the night. "I thought we were being careful enough..."

"We're okay. We're alive," Mike said encouragingly.

"At least they don't know who we are," Kate added, with a sad sniff. "Good thing I burned that bloody certificate."


	4. Chapter 4

**2020 – Fugitive, part four**

Kate dropped the newspaper back into the bin with disgust, and rejoined Mike in the shadows of a nearby building.

"Well?" he asked tightly.

"Fifty thousand dollars. Each," she replied, as tense as he was. He swore softly, and peered out of the darkness towards the busy street.

"What do we do now?" she asked. She was sure he would have a plan, just as he always did – but a minute passed, and another, and another, and he didn't reply. She gently touched his upper arm, and he turned to face her. She was shocked by his appearance – his face was shrouded and the bags under his eyes made him look so much older.

"What are we going to do?" he asked pitifully. Kate fought to keep her composure. Maybe it wasn't fair that for so long, she'd relied on him and given nothing back, but the truth was – he was better at the decision making than she was. _He was the rock that kept them afloat,_ she thought sadly, and then considered re-evaluating her metaphor.

"We need cash," she said practically. "Hm. I wonder if they'd let us collect our own reward money?"

He gave a ghostly smile, which boosted her confidence.

"With money, we can get new clothes. Some food. And then we keep moving."

He nodded slowly. "How do we get money?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I'm working on it," she said defensively.

"Is this our lowest hour? Ever?"

"So far," she muttered. He chewed the edge of his tongue, and regarded the problem at hand.

"If we steal anything, it'll be reported to the Alphae, who will probably be very interested. They know we've got nothing..."

"We can't beg without drawing attention to ourselves..."

"Rob a bank?"

"No time."

Mike snorted. "Of all the things wrong with that suggestion, you comment that there's 'no time'..."

"Well, there's not," Kate snapped. "Now, help me think."

A couple of older kids walked past the building, their eyes darting around cautiously. Kate felt her stomach turn uneasily. She did have an idea, but she knew Mike wouldn't like it, and she wasn't really that keen on it herself. She opened her mouth, paused as she tried to think of the best way or phrasing the suggestion.

"No," he cut in, eyes flashing. "Don't even think about it."

"We're desperate," she snarled. He shook his head vehemently.

"No way. Anyway, you're just as likely to meet an Alpha as any other person..."

"Well, you think of something!"

"I just did!" he blurted suddenly, an idea springing to mind. "The Arena."

"Arena... you mean, gambling? We don't have anything to bet, and even if we did, we can't risk losing..."

"No. I mean enter a match. Challenger matches. Prize money."

"That is _worse_ than my suggestion," Kate scoffed. "You know I don't like blood sports."

"Getting shot by Alphae isn't a blood sport?"

"You getting yourself beaten to a pulp is not going to help our cause..."

"You think I'd lose?" he replied archly. She sighed. Now she could remember why she let him make all the decisions – because past experience had shown their combined idea-storming to be very ineffective.

"You're not as young as you used to be..." she pointed out softly. Mike raised one eyebrow, and waited. Kate suddenly caught on.

"You're not serious."

"If you don't think you're up to it, that's fine... you're getting older, too," he said, smirking. She narrowed her eyes at his challenge. Either she agreed, or she effectively admitted that she couldn't hold her own against any opponent.

"Fine. But if this doesn't work, it's your fault."

* * *

It was what they called the Arena – each night, hard core fighters would wait for challenges. Anyone could enter. There was an Arena in nearly every major town – some were larger than others, however. This was a relatively small gathering, but the crowd still exceeded the hundreds. After the Takeover, Arenas had suddenly emerged everywhere – the majority of the population had grown more bloodthirsty, and the gambling had also caught people's attention.

Mike was located halfway between the stage and the exit. The mass of people all around did nothing to alleviate his discomfort. Kate was waiting for her turn to step into the ring. The idea seemed even stupider now than it had before – especially after watching her would-be opponent disable three muscle-man lookalikes.

_Use his own weight against him_, she thought. She had taken down larger men in the Navy. But this was a different world, and she didn't have a gun as backup. _He's larger – he won't be able to move as fast. You have great agility – remember that._

She was next in line. The jeers and cheers of the crowd were deafening, and she struggled to block out the distractions. _Keep your focus._ The lights were also distracting – they flashed, changed colour, and rotated, making it hard to look at one particular thing. The actual arena, a raised platform in the centre of the large building, occasionally rotated, in order to disorientate the challenger.

The whole combination made her feel like she was on drugs. She caught Mike's eye, and shrugged.

_You can still back out_, he told her with his hands. _I don't want to see you get hurt..._

Kate didn't look directly at him as she answered. _Now you think of that. But don't worry – they might as well be paying me now._

_You know the backup plan?_

_You only went through it a dozen times._

Their conversation ended as an amplified voice announced that Challenger Stealth – each challenger picked their own Arena name – had been defeated. He continued to outline the process of collecting winnings, and then introduced the next contestant.

Kate had to stop herself from grimacing when she heard the robotic voice announce her. Mike and his damn sense of humour.

"And now, we welcome to the Arena, with odds of _fifty-to-one_: Challenger X!"

The crowd laughed slightly as she jumped onto the platform. For those who couldn't think of a 'cool' Arena name, they could choose from a few stock names. To do so, however, was considered poor form, and few people did it. 'Challenger X' was one such name. There was a flurry of activity near the back of the large high-ceilinged hall as the bookie shop began accepting bets.

_Fifty-to-one?_ Kate mused. _I could get insulted by that..._

_Heads up. Alphae at ten o'clock_, she saw Mike sign. Surreptitiously, she rotated three hundred and sixty degrees on her heel, pretending to be looking out at the crowd. Next to the eastern door were two heavy set men, watching quietly, thus slightly out of place in the screaming crowd. Over by the bookie shop were two more.

Under the pretence of waving to the audience, Kate quickly informed Mike. They had expected to find Alphae here – they just hoped there would be no trouble. In the harsh lights and colours, they didn't expect anyone to recognised Kate, but in case they did, the backup plan was to get to the northern door – which Mike was already close to.

Her opponent was called Hercules. He studied Kate as she stood confidently in front of him, looking for some sign that she was stronger than she appeared at first glance.

"Are you sure you're in the right Arena?" he asked, sneering. "I think the kiddies have practise sessions on Fridays."

"You'd know better than I would," Kate replied. The hulking figure was, however, more brawns than brains, and missed the insult. He intensified his sneer.

"They'll have to postpone the next challenger, while someone cleans your blood off the floor," Hercules spat at her. "Don't think I'm going to go easy on you just 'cause you're a girl."

"Never entered my mind," Kate replied. It was customary for the combatants to exchange taunts, but she was already putting her plan into action – he was becoming both confused and angry by her lack of response, and was definitely underestimating her. The crowd took her near-silence as fear, and booed her.

She ignored them. She shut out the distractions of the light and noise – just waves. Just the buzz of her radio. Just another boarding, another machete-armed fisherman. Only without the machete.

She grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad... for a while, at least, everything would be back to normal. Even if she was on a stage.

* * *

The fight began. Hercules didn't waste any time – he jumped forward, swinging a brick-sized fist towards Kate's head without hesitation. She spun, bringing one foot up and kicking him in the stomach. Shocked that she had actually managed to touch him – even if the strong blow had barely bruised the taut muscles – Hercules growled something unintelligible, and reached out both hands, attempting to grab her by the shoulders.

She gripped his wrists and twisted. One of his hands pulled away from her grasp, but the other bent sideways, the angle entirely wrong. There was a shocking _crack!_ that echoed around the room. Hercules let out a bellow of pain, and stepped backwards. Kate didn't let herself celebrate the small victory – any distraction could be deadly. It wasn't uncommon for fighters who were out of their depth to be killed in the Arena.

Hercules watched her carefully. He wanted her to make the next move. Kate, however, had the same objective and was a lot more patient. Before long, Hercules struck again, using his good hand to punch and the opposite leg to swipe at her legs.

Kate jumped into the air, tucking herself into a ball. The kick passed beneath her, and her opponent's fist missed by a mile. A moment later, she landed in the exact same position she had been in before, only now Hercules was disorientated and overbalanced. She took the opportunity to strike, sending the side of her hand into the crook of his neck, and quickly followed up with a punch to his Adam's apple with the heel of her palm.

Hercules staggered backwards. She waited for him to recover, wanting to finish this as quickly as possible – the prize money was inversely proportional to the time it took for the challenger to win. Not that the challengers won very often.

Regaining his breath, his face reddening, Hercules rushed towards Kate, her slim figure a startling contrast to his impressive bulk. To anyone who hadn't seen the past two and a half minutes of action, it would have looked like the end of her – those who had waited breathlessly, wondering how – and if – she was going to escape this attack.

A moment before impact, Kate registered what he was trying to do. A full body slam. Which, considering the size of his body, could actually kill her.

He smashed into her chest, and they both began to fall backwards. No-one blinked – she would surely be crushed!

She flung out one arm, pushed herself away from the approaching ground, rolling _sideways_ and away from the danger. Hercules hit the ground hard, gravity hitting him with the force Kate didn't have. He did try to break his fall at the last minute – but had forgotten about his broken right wrist, and shrieked in pain.

Before he could even attempt to get up, Kate reached down, grabbed his left arm, placed one foot on his back, and pulled. There was another scream as his shoulder dislocated. Having had enough, Kate lifted one foot, and rested it above his neck. She could stomp down, snapping the spine, or could simply press until he suffocated.

"Surrender!" Hercules suddenly cried. She waited a moment. "Surrender to Challenger X!"

Satisfied, she backed away. If he was bluffing, and tried to recommence his attack, she would be ready for it. But he wasn't. He wasn't even able to get to his feet until a pair of attendants assisted him.

Mike watched the fight with his heart in his mouth – and he was fairly certain it wasn't beating as well as it should. He started cursing himself – he had encouraged her, practically _forced_ her up there, just for the money... and then he remembered. His job was to watch the crowd.

His gaze locked onto the Alphae opposite him. They were whispering to each other and pointing at Kate. A cold sweat suddenly broke over his back.

_She _too_ good. She's not just attacking wildly – she was trained to fight, and it shows._

He was brought back to the present by the cheering of the crowd, the stunned, rapturous applause. Wolf whistles and cheers were thrown to the centre arena, and the unexpected victor, and Mike watched as Kate finished off her opponent. _Hercules_, he thought mockingly. _Hardly_.

Kate was waiting for either Hercules to make another move, or for the announcer to name her the winner. She stood straight and tall. There wasn't a mark on her body. Mike's gaze shifted back to the Alphae.

They were gone!

His eyes roved through the thick crowd. _Where are they?_ he screamed mentally. Could they have gone for backup? Had they seen him?

Finally, he saw them – heading towards the stage. He swallowed. If only Kate would look at him, he could tell of her about the threat...

But no. She continued to wait patiently and... Mike's body went still, as his mind flung itself into overdrive.

The way she was standing. He'd been about to use the phrase 'at attention'. The immobility and discipline in her stance – he'd seen it, and so had the Alphae.

_There goes our cover._


	5. Chapter 5

2020 – Fugitive, part five

There was a pause, as the Alphae stopped to talk to the announcer, who was about to step into the Arena. Kate saw them, and finally looked at Mike.

_Alphae!_ he signed quickly. _You were too good._

_What the hell is too good?_ Kate signed back as subtly as she could.

_DF training!_

They didn't have an actual hand sign for the term 'Oh crap' but Mike knew what she was thinking.

_Run?_ she asked.

_No. You'd never get out in time, and it would raise their suspicions. They probably don't know anything yet._

_Probably!_ Kate replied, adding a sharp slicing motion with her left hand that meant she was being sarcastic. _Yet!_

_They're coming in. I'll try and get closer._

_No! Start towards the door. We don't need both of us getting caught._

Kate had to admit, she was fighting the panic rather well. The ruddy-faced announcer, with his bejewelled clothes, paled in significance next to the two tall, dark clothed men. The announcer grabbed his microphone, and started hailing her fighting skills. Kate pushed aside the instinct to stand straight and at attention.

The two Alphae – one with long black hair pulled into a ponytail, the other with his head shaved – were both studying her. _What should I be feeling right now?_ she asked herself. She had just won a big fight. She wasn't a fugitive. Those two men were no threat to her.

"Victory, to challenger X!" the announcer cried, and she flung up her arms as the crowd screamed her name.

"X, X, X, X!"

_You bastard, Mike,_ she thought, hearing her old title repeated over and over. She caught a quick glance of him – a little closer to the door, still watching carefully, but not showing any signs of leaving.

_If something happens, I'll get you out,_ he promised when he saw her gaze on him. She suppressed a shudder. What could he do? She refocused her attention on the announcer.

"Every now and then... there is challenger with the skill of an Alpha. One fight can open up great opportunities."

He kept talking, but Kate tuned out, as a light flashed behind her eyes. _Recruitment!_ The Arena wasn't just a sport, not just for gambling – it was created by the Alphae to look for skilled fighters who could join their ranks.

She forced herself not to look at Mike. Several hundred people were watching her, and any one of them could notice and point out that her gaze kept going to the same place. For now, at least, she was on her own.

"Who thinks Challenger X is good enough to be an Alpha?" the announcer asked, and was replied by a unanimous shriek of approval. Kate felt her blood run cold – to these people, the Alphae had become heroes. Skilled fighters who protected civilians from the Allies and those nasty fugitives. She realised that to be offered a position through the Arena must be a very high honour. Half of the challengers here tonight were probably begging to be given the same chance.

The announcer handed Kate an envelope – through the white paper she could feel the press of cash. She nodded her head in thanks. He gestured at the Alphae, and she stepped towards them.

"Maybe we should talk privately," said the long haired Alpha – and Kate had to hide her shock as she realised _he_ was a _she_. "Away from the –" She curled her lip in distaste. "– noise."

"Of course," Kate replied. The Alphae stepped down from the Arena, and Kate followed, giving one last 'wave' to the crowd.

_Wait. I should be okay._

She didn't know whether he saw or not.

Mike did see her final gesture, and tried to see where they were taking her, but the crowd was too thick. He lost her within seconds.

Despondent, desperately hoping she would be okay, Mike made his way towards the door. He hated the idea of abandoning her, but at times like this, he had to trust she had her own plan.

He headed around the back of the Arena, behind the dark warehouse-like structure. He spotted something on the ground, and grabbed it. It was a ripped copy of today's paper – March 31st, 2020.

On page three, he saw two grainy photos, one of him, one of Kate. The report quickly outlined that they had escaped from Alphae the day before, and were wanted for questioning concerning their links with the Allied forces... for crimes against the New order... blah, blah, blah... The good news was that they had no names. The bad news was the fifty thousand dollar reward. Each.

He sighed, and closed the paper. _At least they don't make those bloody broadsheets anymore_, he thought, and then his gaze was caught by the article on the front cover. He speed-read it, keeping both ears alert for any signs of people.

For a moment, his heart might have stopped, as he absorbed what the newspaper was telling him. Then there was a bang behind him, and he ducked into the shadows of the building. The back door of the Arena, which could only be accessed by personnel – and Alphae – had swung open, and a second later there was another bang as it swung shut.

Mike peered out, and caught a flash of blonde hair. Kate! He was about to step forward, when he realised she wasn't alone. The black uniform of the Alphae made them almost invisible in the night. Had they recognised her? Was she a prisoner now?

The Alpha pushed Kate backwards, and pressed her against the brick wall. He then leaned forward, pinned her wrists, and kissed her.

Enraged, Mike was ready to leap out and take him on – luckily, the second Alpha was nowhere to be seen. Until he saw Kate kiss the man back.

Everything he knew, everything that was real, disappeared. There was only a deep, hideous uncertainty, and the sight of Kate kissing an Alpha. Then her hands dropped to the man's belt buckle, and Mike wanted to die. He slipped away from the scene, deciding to wait in the Arena carpark instead.

Kate found him about half an hour later. He had finished using the newspaper as a stress toy, and it was now littered across the ground in several hundred pieces. Which was what he wanted to do to that Alpha.

"Any trouble?" he asked coolly.

"Not really. They offered me a position with them. I told them I'd think about it."

"Took you a while to do that," he remarked snidely. Kate's eyes flashed.

"You saw," she said flatly. He jerked his head in a parody of a nod. She sighed.

"Let's go."

"You haven't finished thinking about your new career yet?" he snarled, not moving an inch. She started to walk away.

"I did what I had to do to get them off our backs," she replied haltingly, each word cold and furious. "Now stop being childish and move."

"Childish? Who was it screwing an Alpha behind the Arena?"

She swung around, and slapped him. "They didn't recognise me, but if they'd thought about it long enough they... they would have," she replied, her initial snarl fading into fearful uncertainty.

"Well. I'm sure they'll forget all about you now."

"Are you _jealous_?" she asked, incredulous. He refused to meet her eyes. "You think I _wanted_ to do that?"

"Then why did you?"

"Because it was better than getting shot and/or killed."

Mike finally shut his mouth. His body felt hot, like it was burning from within, set alight by rage and despair.

"You fight like a demon. You couldn't have..."

"Not without drawing attention to ourselves," she said softly, her anger fading as she saw the real reason for his reaction. He was scared for her. She stepped forward, cupping his face with one hand. The other hand still held the envelope with her prize money.

"We're free to go. No-one in this town is going to think about us, or me, again. We have money. Heaps, actually. So..."

"I love you," Mike whispered, his voice breaking. She flung her arms around him, and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"I love you, too," she replied.

"You shouldn't have had to do that..."

"None of this _should_ be happening. Deal with it."

"Okay," he said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

**2020 – Fugitive, Part six**

They walked confidently along the side of the road. After leaving the Arena, they had taken the bus for an hour or so, putting as much distance between them and the Alphae as possible. Now they were trekking along a winding road, for the most part heading south-west. Neither of them had spoken much in the last half an hour, but suddenly Mike broke the silence.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself," he blurted out. Kate glanced at him, wondering if he was referring to what she thought he was. He quickly clarified. "In the Arena."

"Oh. Well. It was kind of fun."

Mike chuckled. He hefted his new backpack, and cast her a quick glance. "Maybe we should try it again. Certainly good for cash..."

"Did you forget the part with the Alphae already?" Kate replied wryly. Mike thought about it for a moment, then frowned.

"Don't do that again."

"Did you notice how the crowd loved the Alphae?" she asked, changing the subject before he could get bitchy.

Mike started to nod, and then stopped. Kate looked back at him, registering the shock on his face.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned. He quickly caught up to her, his mind racing.

"I forgot to tell you. I was looking at the newspaper... this is not good."

"What isn't? That they like the Alphae?"

"No! I mean, that too... but something else. Allied forces have been having serious problems."

"I knew that."

"No, now they're having problems with the civilians. Some people are going forward and offering them false information, they're getting killed and beaten back. Word is they won't have Melbourne for much longer."

He took a deep breath. "There's more. The Allies are no longer communicating with any civilian, and if we get caught and don't have ID, we're as good as dead."

"They can't do that," Kate gasped.

"They can. If you can't prove who you are, and that you have no connections to the Alphae, they kill you. Newspaper had reports of people being killed in the north west, near Darwin."

"So we're now being hunted by _both_ sides," Kate concluded. Mike hesitated. "Please tell me there isn't more!"

"Something else. Ace's response. The Alphae now need proof before they can harm or arrest anyone. Civilian or otherwise."

"Which means... no wonder that crowd loved the Alphae. Once Ace has full control of the country, they'll be fully protected from the brutal Allies," she concluded, snorting in disbelief.

"It's a good move. Politically. Socially. The Allies are losing. They don't have the numbers anymore, and they don't have the support of the country they're trying to save."

"Where does that leave us?" she asked, frowning. "Wouldn't the Allies want our help? People who can't be involved with the Alphae?"

"As far as they know, we _could_ be involved with the Alphae," he replied.

"Effectively, we're screwed," she muttered. He nodded wearily.

"Let's keep moving," he said, walking faster. She sighed, and followed. They didn't have many options now, but they definitely wouldn't give up.

* * *

The next town they came to was very small.

"You ever think about heading into one of the big cities?" Kate asked. "More people to get lost in."

"Higher level of Alphae control," Mike said. "Too dangerous."

"And out here? More likely to have Allied control. Which is now just as dangerous."

"Right now, we need to find somewhere to bunker down. Regather ourselves, work out what we're going to do."

Kate nodded in agreement, then gestured at the local store. It sold everything from hot food to newspapers to plastic cutlery. Mike waited outside when she went in.

She cursed silently upon entering – the store had a bell on the door, and everyone looked up at her entrance. Their plastered smiles froze, then disappeared, as she walked in, and the dozen or so patrons, browsing or chatting, suddenly went quiet and wouldn't look in her direction.

She had bought a new jacket in the previous town, in a chain clothing shop. It was a hoodie, incredibly warm, and despite how Mike had laughed at the way she looked in it, she was now glad of the choice. As she passed between two aisles, she pulled up the cowl, her face now in shadow.

She grabbed everything she and Mike had thought to put on their 'shopping list' – the list that was slightly unreliable as it existed only in her memory. When she took them to the counter, she noticed a large banner covered by black bold letters above the counter. _All citizens are now required to carry identification at all times. _She reached into one pocket for a few coins, but the shopkeeper stared at her for a second, not moving. When he finally spoke, his voice was husky with fear.

"Just, just go! Get out of here!" he begged. Kate didn't try to argue, and slipped out of the shop as fast as she could. Mike was waiting; she jerked her head towards the road, and they walked out of the town only minutes after arriving.

"Someone recognised you?" he asked. She shrugged.

"They knew I wasn't a local. It was enough to freak them out."

"Alphae or Allies?"

"Allies. There was a sign above the counter."

Mike nodded. "We need to find somewhere to spend the night," he pointed out. The previous night, they had kept moving in their thick new clothes, and it had been enough to keep out the cold. But now, they were exhausted, and were longing for somewhere safe.

"I got you a paper," Kate muttered, and seeing it tucked under her arm, Mike grabbed it. "This time, if you see something interesting, don't rip it up."

Mike had the perfect comeback to her warning, but bit it down. Petty squabbles wouldn't help. He started to fumble with the pages, but after realising he couldn't easily read while walking, folded it up again.

"Let's find somewhere to shelter for the night, then we'll read it," he decided, and Kate smiled softly while he wasn't looking. While she was always on the lookout for safe places to hide, he religiously followed the news, from scavenged, stolen and bargained newspapers. He devoured their contents eagerly, always needing more information about what was happening around the country.

"It would be better if we had bloody freedom of the media," she commented. Mike glanced at her.

"If you read the papers like I do, you'd know that over the past few months, the media has been given permission to report on whatever they like."

"Sure."

It was a topic they often discussed. Secretly, Kate was glad of his faith, because it gave her hope.

Suddenly, her gaze was caught by a structure to the side of the road, and she caught Mike's eye. He nodded.

"A little close to people... but it'll do."

It was the entrance to one of the underground stations. In 2009, a plan to rebuild all railways so that they were underground had been started. Work was done on the plan for the next five years, until the takeover – there were extensive railway tunnels, working as an underground maze. And while walking through the tunnels couldn't be done without paying a tithe to the thieves who ran them, Mike and Kate had, on several occasions, sheltered on the platforms. They were cold, but free of wind and usually pretty safe.

There was a wooden bar across the top of the stairs, but it was incredibly easy to duck under. At the bottom of the stairs, they looked around, memorising the layout of the station, in case they needed to make a hasty exit.

"Ticket office," Mike muttered. Despite how he spoke carefully, his voice still echoed, the sound eventually lost in the large underground cavern. This station was barely halfway finished – the far end was a mass of scaffolding and dusty ropes. The ticket office, however, was nearly complete, and they ducked inside.

On one venture underground, their target station had had a shop – and inside were several dozen chocolate bars, still in reasonably good condition. The expiry date hadn't stopped them. Today, however, there was no such luxury. The empty office wasn't even furnished, and they looked around for something that they could make a nest from.

Mike found some empty cardboard boxes, and began preparing to make a fire. For the first time in days, they were back to their normal routine, and it was comforting.

"Some of the scaffolding's made of wood," he mused. "I'll get a few pieces to keep the fire burning."

"Make it big. There's nothing soft or warm in here."

"It'll do," Mike replied. After building up the fire and creating a channel for the smoke, they quickly ate 'dinner' – tinned spaghetti, and several slices of fresh bread. The loaf would have to be eaten within two or three days, before it went stale. For the same reason, they rarely found it in any of the houses they sheltered in.

"Should have bought a sandwich toasting machine," Mike commented, and Kate snorted.

"Here. Water. Hopefully that will satisfy your cravings for hot food."

"Hardly," he replied sarcastically, but took the bottle she was offering anyway. His eyes strayed between the loaf of bread, and the fire.

"Don't you dare. You'll set yourself on fire," she warned.

"Do we have any tongs?" he asked innocently. She slapped him with her spoon.

"No! Just be glad I remembered to buy cutlery!"

"Oh, I am," he replied, smirking. "Because I remember the time we needed new plastic utensils... and you forgot to get some when you were shopping... and so we were eating yoghurt with our fingers!"

Kate laughed. Mike grinned at the sound, something he hadn't heard in weeks, especially not in the past few days. Well, he hadn't heard her laugh without being sarcastic recently.

"I think that was the time when we broke into that deli..."

"It was. The first time, that is."

"The second time you ate it with your fingers anyway! And we had sporks then."

"I said, I wasn't going to eat yoghurt with a fork."

"Spork!"

"Does it matter? Now, let me try this..."

He grabbed a piece of unburnt cardboard, and used it as a platform. He then laid a piece of bread across it, and extended it over the fire. After a moment, the card was alight, but it looked like it would hold the bread slice for a while.

"That is not going to work," Kate remarked.

"Not with that attitude," Mike scoffed. "Come on Kate. When was the last time you had hot food?"

"Three days ago? Four. In that house. We used the stove."

"Gone are the days when we used to have hot meals every few hours..."

"Indeed. Now, your pallet is about to dissolve."

Seeing that Kate was right, Mike quickly tipped the cardboard platform sideways, his bread slice sliding onto another piece.

"I did that on purpose," he said. She snorted. "Really. Look, now it cooks both sides."

Kate was interested to see that the bread did seem to be turning slowly into toast. She was fairly certain that Mike had forgotten one thing, though, and waited patiently for him to find out for himself.

Satisfied with how aflame his meal was, Mike pulled it out of the fire, just before the flames licking the pallet reached his fingers. He grabbed at the toast – burnt in some places, underdone in others, but perfectly edible – in the fingers of his right hand.

And immediately dropped it, jumping with surprise. The toast was, of course, hot. Determined to still enjoy his idea, he looked down... to see that he had thrown the toast into the fire again. For a moment, he just stared at it, before looking at Kate, storm clouds in his eyes. She casually bit her top lip, and tried to steady her breathing.

"Just laugh and get it over with," he snapped, and she immediately broke into a torrent of giggles. After a minute of glaring, he had to admit the humour.

"It did work," he pointed out. She nodded.

"Sort of. I'll make you a deal. I'll buy you some tongs next shop we get to. They're not too big or heavy, and who knows what we could cook then?"

"Something!" he said in excitement, still nursing his injured fingers. Kate leaned forward, and took his hand, studying the burn mark.

"It's not too bad," she concluded. He pouted, and she had to smile. Nasty encounters with Alphae, Allies, cold winter nights, and frosty civilians had played a part in teaching them to be grateful for what they had. For the first time in days, they were able to relax slightly.

"Want me to kiss it better?" she asked softly. He scooted around the fire, until they were right next to each other.

"I bit my lip. Why don't you kiss that better?" he suggested, and she complied.

That night, they kept warm without blankets and quilts – wrapped in each others' arms.

* * *

"What's up?"

"A group of travellers came through the south tunnel, heading east... and I saw a woman and a man come down onto Didgee Station."

"They coming through?"

"I don't know. I think they'll sleep through the night, and maybe come through in the morning."

"I'm on watch in that sector tomorrow."

"They're good at keeping out of sight. Experienced; fugitives, would be my guess. Keep your eyes peeled."

"Ha! When do I not?"

"Okay. Keep your eyes on your post, and your mind off your wife."

"And my darling daughter."

"Yeah, sure mate. You're guarding the tunnel, thinking about your _daughter_."

"I do!"

"Which proves my point – focus on your job."

"Oh, come on..."

"What?"

"Damn you, Gordon... but you'll know how it feels soon. Rachel's getting close."

"And am I ever glad that we have Maree ready to help out. I mean, living in a tunnel isn't so bad... until you need to get your pregnant wife to a hospital..."

"Yeah... yeah... but, we managed. Rachel will be fine."

"Night, mate."

"Yeah, night..."


	7. Chapter 7

**2020 – Fugitive, Part seven**

Kate straightened the straps of her pack on her shoulders, and looked at Mike. He nodded, looking down the long, inky black tunnel.

"How much do you reckon they'll want?" Kate asked. They had always avoided the thieves tunnel in the past, their only knowledge of it garnered from overheard conversations and rumours. It was an uncertain grey area, and they avoided such things as much as possible.

"I'll barter with them," he said grimly. The cash they were carrying had been split up into various pockets – some on their person, some in the backpacks they carried. If it turned out that the thieves wanted everything they had, they could argue for a bit, and then relent, handing over whatever was in one pocket.

"You sure you want to go down there?" Kate asked nervously. Her voice echoed dimly, and she swallowed, switching to hand signals. _They call them thieves. Doesn't bode well._

_We've caused a stir in these parts. We need to get as far as possible without showing our faces. This is our best chance._

_Okay. But..._

_I know. If it goes wrong, it's my fault,_ Mike replied, making a face at her. She smirked, and looked back down the dark tunnel. Electric lights were fitted to the ceiling, and a few worked, which she found surprising. It was still quite dark, however.

They set off, sticking to the centre of the tunnel, aware of what easy targets they were. To compensate for the lights that didn't work, there were 44 gallon drums standing upright at regular intervals with long-burning coals within. They glowed eerily, giving only a little light.

Something moved. Kate grabbed Mike's arm, and they peered into the gloom. Out came... not a person, but a cat. It appeared healthy and surprisingly well fed. It watched them, it's green eyes glittering in the semi-darkness, and after a moment, yawned.

_It must eat the rodents,_ Kate signed. Mike nodded, and they continued moving.

In the distance, there were vague sounds they couldn't identify. Scrapings, thuds, and the occasional screech of metal-on-metal. Unconsciously, they began to walk faster, pressing together.

_Certainly not inviting_, Mike said. Kate's eyes flicked upwards, wondering what was above them right now. Roads? People? Houses? Bush, or even desert? It was possible, considering how far west they had come.

The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly rose, and her heart started beating faster. _We're being watched,_ she informed Mike, moving her hands as surreptitiously as possible. He tapped one leg with one finger – _I feel it too_.

There was a vibration beneath their feet. They looked around uncertainly, as the railway tracks shuddered. After a moment, it stopped, and they continued forward, hearts thundering loudly.

From somewhere behind them came a long shriek, which was suddenly cut short. Kate whipped around, very close to screaming. She didn't like these tunnels. She didn't like the permanent semi-darkness, or the noises, or how confined she felt. It would be _so_ easy for someone to trap them in here. Block off the way forward, have someone behind... and there would be no escape.

_Rodent_, Mike sighed reassuringly. _At least the cats must keep their numbers down..._

They didn't have an actual sign-signal for 'rat', so Mike used the quick finger-wiggling motion that meant 'rodent' – which could be any small animal, even things that weren't technically rodents, like bats and possums. Kate shuddered, and pulled the hood of her jacket up. They nervously started walking again.

There was a scraping sound, right in front of them – the sound of a shoe on dirt. They both stopped, and peered forward. In the gloom, they could make out a person, waiting for them.

"Who's there?" Mike called, his mouth unnaturally dry. There was a vague smell of dirt and steel around them, and it was making Mike feel slightly sick. The figure stepped forward, and now they could make out a man, medium height and build, his eyes shrouded.

"You seek passage through the tunnels?" he asked. Mike nodded, and then realised that the man probably couldn't see him in this light.

"Yes. Me and my wife."

"Names?" asked the man, and Mike suddenly felt his tense nerves relax. There was something... familiar... about the voice.

"I'm John, and this is Alicia," he lied.

_He sounds familiar_, Kate suddenly signed to him. Mike agreed.

"Are you able to pay?"

"Yes," Mike replied, a face suddenly appearing in his memory. Curiously, he tried to match it to the man in front of him, who at that moment shifted slightly, a ray from a nearby light hitting his face, illuminating sky blue eyes.

"ET?" Mike blurted out. The man went still.

"Boss?" came the startled reply. ET fumbled in one pocket, pulling out a glow stick, illuminating the scene.

"You couldn't have taken that out before," Mike said wryly, seeing that it was indeed Josh Holliday.

"Nah. I work hard to get the spooky atmosphere right, and the light always kills it," Josh replied, grinning at the sight of an old friend. Then his gaze shifted to Kate, who realised that her hood was still obscuring her face. She flipped it off, and smiled.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Making a living. It's pretty good, actually..."

"A little dark," Mike pointed out. Josh shrugged again.

"Brighter where we live," he said.

There was the crunch of a footstep from the space behind Josh. He turned, keeping the light where it was.

"Hey Nick," he said. Mike blinked in surprise – he could just see an outline of a person, but no distinguishing features._ Maybe your eyes aren't as sharp as you thought,_ he said to himself.

"Friends of yours, Josh?" Nick asked. He sounded laid back and casual – but Mike instinctively knew that he would be a formidable enemy.

"Yeah, yeah." Nick stepped forward so that they could see him. He had thick dark hair, which fell just past his shoulders, and pale grey eyes that shone eerily in the darkness. Once in the light, his pupils contracted to mere pinpoints. He watched the two fugitives for a moment, waiting for either they or Josh to say something.

"Old colleagues," Josh finally filled in, before the silence could become awkward. Nick nodded, stepping back. There was still a residual tension, however, and Mike knew what it was.

"It's good to see you," he said warmly, and the air cleared. "Is Nikki still with you?"

"Yep," Josh replied, smiling slightly. "She'd love to see you, both of you... have time to drop in?"

Mike glanced at Kate. So far, they had survived by choosing their own destinations, and by not trusting other people. Kate figured that in this case, they could make an exception. Smiling softly, she nodded.

Beside them, Nick rolled his eyes. "Any excuse, Josh... fine. You nick off, I'll hold this end."

Josh grinned, jerking his head to show Mike and Kate where to go. They followed him down the tunnel, and he made to put the glow stick in his pocket, thus extinguishing the light.

"Uh... can you keep that out?" Kate asked. He glanced at her, confused, and she pointed at the light. He nodded.

"Sure. Your eyes get kinda used to the dark down here."

"You're living in a train tunnel," Mike pointed out, and his tone of voice implied, _why the hell would you do that?_

"Nope. I'm just one of the guys who patrols the tunnels. We don't actually live down here."

"So where do you live?" Kate asked, puzzled. She knew they couldn't be part of the above ground society.

"I'm going to show you, aren't I? It's a bit of a walk, though."

"How'd you end up down here?" Mike asked. Josh considered.

"Well, after we..." He trailed off, and paused awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, mate," Mike said. Josh nodded, and swallowed.

"After Nikki and I left, we tried to get to Darwin, but kept hitting roadblocks. Went cross-country for a while... for a few weeks, had to hide in an abandoned mine. Pinched food from a local farm, but they'd turned to the Alphae... that was probably the worst time we had. Then, when we heard that it was possible to get through the tunnels, thought we'd try that.

"Made it to Darwin... that would have been nearly a year after we left." He shook his head, remembering. "A whole bloody year... and by then, the New Order had the entire north coast. Moved south. Kept to the tunnels.

"Eventually, figured that by moving all the time, we weren't helping anyone... so, next time we passed through, I asked the thieves if I could get a job."

"That simple?" Kate asked, surprised. He shook his head.

"They weren't that impressed. Showed them a few of those hand-to-hand tricks you taught us all..." He grinned appreciatively at Kate. "That seemed to get them. Of course, they seemed to think Nikki was just excess cargo, but she soon proved them wrong." Kate smiled, wondering how her old friend was doing. She was glad that, for the first time since 2014, she'd have a chance to find out.

"So what about you two? I thought... you wouldn't leave."

Mike's jaw clenched for a moment, and Kate rolled her eyes. She remembered quite clearly how he'd called those who left cowards – and that had included Josh and Nikki. She'd been a little more sympathetic, but hadn't liked the idea of running alone, leaving Mike, and had known that she would wait for him – even if he never left his post.

"He was given a direct order from Commander Marshall to run for his life," she said. "By then... there was nothing else to do."

"We hope... we had hoped that the Allied forces would sort it out," Mike said.

"We all did. Now they've gone and bloody turned on us." Josh shook his head with disgust.

"They're doing their best... doesn't help that nearly the whole population is now on the wrong side."

"So how have you survived up there for this long?" Josh asked, returning to his original query.

"Not easily..." Mike muttered. "So many close calls. Basically, we just kept moving. Walking, hiding, making cash the hard way..."

Josh snorted. "Didn't help that the economy went belly-up."

Kate sighed. "No. In fact –"

She broke off, seeing the Josh had stopped walking. To her it appeared that they were in just another bit of tunnel. Guessing there had to be some sort of hidden entrance, she peered around carefully, but saw nothing.

"To your left," Josh said helpfully, and her gaze slid along the wall. After a moment, she realised that there wasn't a _visual_ difference; at one point, the texture changed from smooth dublo-fibres – a type of thick, very strong, plastic, that was almost like rubber in feel – into metal.

"A door," she said at last. He nodded.

"You'd never know it was there. And that's the way its going to stay."

With those words – a veiled warning – Josh pulled a key from his pocket, and unlocked the door, holding it open for them to pass through. Kate hesitated, the idea of climbing into a small tunnel spooking her. It came down to an argument between her trust in Josh Holliday – a man she hadn't seen in six years – and the part of her that refused to trust at all. It was the latter part that had kept her alive and free this long.

Realising her hesitation was becoming obvious, she moved forward, only just able to see as she left the light behind her. Her spine tingled painfully, and she tensed, the feeling only disappearing once she felt Mike's presence climb through behind her.

"Ladder!" Josh called out, just in time. Kate's feet felt the ground come to an abrupt end. She bent down, feeling a shaft sinking down.

"So to make it brighter, we're headed _deeper_ underground?" she asked, surprised. The train tunnels were already very deep, due to the cold temperature that had been required to run the super-conductor trains that had been designed for use in the tunnels, but unfortunately never made it into action.

"We've got electric lighting downstairs," Josh called from behind. "And you can thank yours truly that it works... ninety percent of the time."

"What happens for the other ten?" Mike asked.

"The Alphae figure out which power source we're connected to and shut it off. But, not too long ago, Nikki worked out a little mix-and-match system, so the lights are all connected to _different_ sources... much more complicated. But it means we're never in the dark."

"How is Nikki?" Kate asked, calling upwards.

"You're about to hit the ground," Josh called back. Just then, her left foot touched concrete instead of another ladder rung, and she was glad for Josh's warning, because she had been about to slam into the ground. She hopped out of the way, as Mike came down, Josh right behind him, scaling the ladder with great speed and agility.

"You'll see for yourself in a minute. This way," he said. He'd put the glow stick back into his pocket, and the tunnel they were now in was very dark. Kate pulled her hood up again, beginning to feel the chill that came from being so far underground. But then, Josh opened another door, and bright, warm light spilled through from the other side.

What they found on the other side was a cross between an enormous cave, and an artificial street. Fluorescent lights were everywhere, point sources that weren't too hard to look at, but managed to illuminate the entire space.

"Wow," Kate muttered, pulling off the hood so she could stare around better. Mike's expression indicated his agreement. And there were _people_. Walking around, chatting to each other, and, most astonishing, several young children playing games in the dirt.

One man looked up at their arrival, and frowned slightly. He came over, looking inquiring at Josh.

"Hey Gordon. Old friends. And before you ask, yes, I trust them."

"Obviously. How much?"

"Mate, if we can't trust these two, we may as well give up now."

Gordon considered for a moment, then his lips twitched in amusement. "All right. But only because I trust your judgement."

Josh nodded happily, and directed them towards a dwelling across the 'road'.

"Your boss?" Mike guessed. Josh shrugged.

"Sort of. Different system. He's been here a long time, though, and was one of the first people I met. We're good friends. Here, it's this one," he said, looking proudly at one of the 'houses'.

It wasn't a traditional brick house – it was made of strong wooden supports with several layers of thick canvas stretched between them. Because there was no wind underground, and the air was a steady temperature, the only purpose of walls was for privacy – and for the psychological sense of security they gave.

Josh ducked inside, and his friends followed nervously. There were more dividing walls inside, giving the impression of a large house. The homey touches – from furniture to homemade trinkets – were almost painful to see. Kate could hear Josh trying to explain something, and then a familiar voice told him to shut up. Nikki came out and saw them. She froze, for a single second, and then jumped forward.

"Kate!" she screamed, pulling Kate into a hug. Kate returned it warmly, and then leant back to get a good look at how the years had changed Nikki.

She had cut and layered her hair, and now it neatly framed her face, just reaching her shoulders. She looked full of life and quite healthy, though her skin had lightened considerably.

"What, no hug for me?" Mike teased, and Nikki leapt towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pecking him on the cheek.

"What are you _doing_ here?" she asked, grinning broadly. Josh leant against the wall behind her.

"Just passing through," Kate replied. "Wasn't expecting to see him, though," she added, one thumb aimed at Josh. Nikki nodded, her eyes glittering happily.

"It's fantastic, though... to know that you're both okay..."

"You too," Kate said. Nikki suddenly glanced at Josh, and whatever she was saying, he understood, because he ducked outside without a word.

"There's something else you should see," Nikki said, a new smile creeping across her face. "Or, should I say, some_one_."

Josh came back in, leading a little girl. She was about five years old, with light grey eyes and curly brown hair.

"Meet Jade," Nikki said proudly. Mike smiled softly, and Kate gazed quietly at the girl, her expression unreadable.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do..." she murmured after a minute, finally smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

**2020 – Fugitive, Part eight**

After the initial commotion and greetings was over, the four adults sat down so that they could exchange stories and news. Jade, the young girl, gazed reproachfully at her mother. Nikki glanced at her, and nodded. Jade grinned and ran outside, returning to whatever game she and the other children had been playing before the strangers' arrival.

"Your daughter?" Kate asked softly, her expression darkening ever so slightly. Nikki nodded.

"Did Josh tell you how we ended up down here?"

"Most of it," Josh said. He glanced at their guests. "One of the other reasons we didn't want to keep moving around..."

He shrugged, and Mike smiled. Nikki's eyes were caught by the calculating look on Kate's face as she watched Mike.

"Must have been hard," Kate said to Nikki, who made a face.

"It was. Still is. But definitely worth it."

"How many people are there down here?" Mike asked. Josh considered.

"About a hundred, I think. And a total of twelve children."

"Soon to be thirteen," Nikki added.

For a moment, there was silence, and Nikki watched as Kate brushed away a strand of loose hair. Mike replied by scratching one leg. Kate lifted one hand and studied her nails. Mike tapped his neck and then scratched just below his ear. Kate's nostrils flared and her fingers twisted into an 'O' shape.

Nikki burst out laughing.

They both looked at her. "What?" Kate asked. Biting her lip, Nikki composed herself.

"Those... hand signals. You're not _nearly_ as subtle as you think you are."

"How are we not?" Mike demanded to know, and Kate rolled her eyes.

"You argue just like you used to, then?" Nikki gauged. Kate had to smile.

"More, probably..."

"We do not!" Mike retorted. Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Yes... anyway... excuse us a second..."

She then lifted her hands and executed a series of rapid motions, Mike replying in turn. Nikki and Josh watched, engrossed. They didn't seem at all put out by the exclusivity of the conversation. Kate swiped one hand sideways to emphasise whatever point she was making, and Mike mirrored the movement, but in reverse.

She suddenly noticed their audience. Deciding to end the conversation, she tried to remember if they had a sign for, "Please, Mike, you're embarrassing me!" As far as she knew, they didn't. It suddenly seemed like a flaw. Instead, she improvised. A second later, Mike's brow furrowed.

"You say what?" he asked. She snorted, and let Nikki see her roll her eyes.

"Secret language under construction," she said dryly.

"Well, you can't just make things up whenever you feel like it..."

"Learn to improvise, Mike!"

"What did you say?"

"Effectively, shut up."

"What did you _actually_ say?"

"I'm _not_ saying it out loud..."

"Is it because we're here?" Nikki asked. "We can go..."

"No, stay. I just don't want to say it out loud." She glared, and Mike backed down.

"Debating whether you can trust us?" Josh asked coolly. Kate tried to alleviate his concern.

"No, actually," she said. He looked sceptical, and she joked, "We debated that before we came down here."

"So how'd you make that... sign language?" Nikki asked curiously. Kate shrugged.

"Started with a few basic signs, gradually expanded it... can't say everything, though."

"Obviously," Josh muttered. "So, you want to tell us how you survived up there this long?"

Mike shrugged. "Moving. Hiding."

"Jumping out of windows..." Kate murmured. Nikki raised an eyebrow, and Kate pointed at Mike. "His idea!"

"It worked," Mike said defensively. Kate snorted.

"My knee still hurts."

"Alphae problems?" Josh asked, and Mike nodded.

"When we first ran, they were close behind us... we were driving, then. Kept to the backstreets, tried to move at night. Then for a while, three years or so, we hardly saw them."

"Until a few months ago, when they popped back up behind us," Kate finished. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she clicked her fingers, remembering something. "Not our lowest hour," she said.

"What? When?" Mike asked. She rolled her eyes.

"The other day, we got away from the Alphae, and we'd lost everything, you said that was our lowest hour... I just realised it wasn't."

"What _was_?" he asked.

"When we lost the car," Kate said, smirking.

They had spent so long together, with just the two of them, they were having trouble adjusting to the concept of a four-person conversation. Nikki and Josh seemed to realise this, and weren't put out by the constant two-person dialogue. It made them realise how lucky they were to have found themselves part of a society.

"How'd you lose the car?" Josh asked. Kate snorted.

"_He_ drove it over a cliff."

"I did not!" Mike retorted.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I drove that semi-trailer off a cliff. The car ran out of fuel."

Kate waved a hand, indicating it was of no matter. "Either way, you drove _something_ off a cliff. And we lost the car."

Mike shrugged. "It was a petrol car anyway, wasn't worth much."

"Hang on. You drove a semi over a cliff?" Nikki asked, astonished. Mike hesitated.

"Well, technically..."

"Technically," Kate mimicked, then explained. "For some reason, can't remember what, we stole a semi –"

"It was after we had to abandon the car, and there were Alphae chasing us..."

"– and it was a very good cover. Then we stopped near Burketown, _he_ forgot to put the handbrake on, and it rolled over a cliff."

"So I didn't _technically_ drive it over..."

"Never, ever, get into a semi-trailer with him," Kate warned. "He has no idea how to drive them."

Mike rolled his eyes. "_Where_ would I have learnt to drive a semi?"

"And _how_ do you manage to do anything?" Nikki asked in surprise. "Do you ever _not_ argue?"

"No," Kate admitted, and at the same time, Mike replied, "Yes."

"So where are you headed?" Josh asked.

"Dunno," he said, thinking. "West, was the plan."

"Away from the Alphae we managed to piss off last week," Kate added dryly. "We've been doing that a lot, lately."

"Lately?" Mike questioned, and she shrugged.

"Well, feel free to hide out down here as long as you want," Nikki said brightly. Then she turned to Josh. "You don't reckon Gordon would let them stay? Do you want to stay?"

Mike swallowed, unnerved by the suddenness of the invitation. "Well... I don't think we want to stop moving just yet. It's become a sort of... habit."

Nikki noticed Kate's expression. "Kate?" she asked, and the woman blinked.

"Yeah, what he said... not that I don't like your little village," she said. For a moment, she wondered what had happened to her tact. Everything she said suddenly felt awkward and stiff, and she kept feeling the need to apologise. _Not enough socialising_, she answered herself.

"You know, I _do_ have a name," Mike said, glancing sideways at her. "I've lost count of the number of times you've called me 'he' this morning."

Nikki continued before Kate could respond. "That's fine, but you'll stay for a while, won't you? There's so much to talk about..."

Kate smiled in relief. "We can do that," she said, before Mike could answer. "We've been trying to lie low the past few days, after those Alphae came that close..."

"How close?" Josh asked. Kate considered.

"Had to leave everything behind and run. Which, considering the jumping-out-of-a-second-story-window, was not easy."

"And it was cold," Mike added. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Would have been warmer if you hadn't pushed me into a river," she muttered, and then continued the story. "Just kept walking for the rest of the night, got to a new town, then started over."

"Where'd you get the money?" Josh asked, and Kate couldn't tell whether he was just curious, of if he was drilling them for information. She bit the inside of her cheek, silently reprimanding herself. _Stop being paranoid!_

"Mike had a stupid idea that paid off," she said in response to his question. Mike looked momentarily offended. Josh and Nikki turned to him quizzically.

"Arena," he said smugly. "And it did pay off." At his words, Nikki's eyes widened, and she turned to Josh.

"You don't reckon..." she said, tilting her head to one side. "Do you still have access?"

"Access to what?" Kate asked. Josh jumped up, and came back from the next room with a thin laptop.

"What sort of coverage do you get from that?" Mike asked, interested. Josh shrugged, flipping it open and starting to type.

"One of the guys down here managed to hack into the main wireless stream," Nikki explained. Kate frowned.

"Surely that doesn't carry down here..."

"No, he accessed it on the surface. Then we rigged up some cables, brought the signal down, and retransmit."

"And no-one's noticed you're stealing internet?" Kate asked, astonished. Nikki shrugged.

"It's almost always working... Does better than the lights, at any rate," she said. "Now, quick question – did you know that most of the Arena fights are recorded?"

"We could have assumed that..."

"Did you know that the good ones get posted online?"

Kate's jaw dropped. "You're kidding," she eventually spluttered. Mike sniggered, and she absently whacked him. Josh smirked.

"The cameras don't get very close, so we couldn't _exactly_ tell it was you..."

"But Josh mentioned at the time, it looked like your fighting style," Nikki said, grinning.

"Why were you watching Arena fights in the first place?" Mike asked. Josh shrugged.

"For one, it's quite interesting. Secondly, over the past year or so, the crowd reaction to the Alphae has changed dramatically. I've been gauging their popularity... Third, occasionally, you get to see some great fighting... we practise it sometimes, learn new moves.

"Got it," he announced, and flipped the screen back and around so that they could all see it. The technological advances over the past few years meant that the large picture was crystal clear, loaded fast, and played smoothly.

"Wow," Kate murmured, watching the blonde figure in the centre spin around and deliver a solid kick into her opponent's stomach. "I tell you, didn't _feel_ that cool..."

Josh chuckled. "I tell _you_, it looks cool. Woah, see, look at that! I remember you doing that..."

Kate watched intently, not noticing Nikki's expression. The entire fight lasted less than a minute.

"Your old SAS boyfriend teach you some of that?" Josh asked. "Whatsisname. Because that thing at the end was _not_ in Navy training..."

"Jim?" Kate asked, ignoring the instant scowl that appeared on Mike's face. She smiled slightly, remembering the SAS captain. Their jobs had brought them together on several subsequent occasions, and by agreeing to stay as friends, they had kept the situations from becoming awkward, but Kate had started to recognise the jealous looks that Mike threw their way at every conversation.

"Yeah," she mused. "I think he did teach me some of that..."

"Was rather dangerous, though, wasn't it?" Nikki asked, gesturing at the laptop Josh was putting away. Kate shrugged.

"It worked. And it was about the only chance we had."

"She likes doing dangerous things, because if something goes wrong, she can blame me," Mike added dryly. Kate nodded in agreement, smirking.

"This time, though, it was _actually_ your idea..." Kate mused.

"I do not get that..." Josh muttered. "You survived for _six years_, without help, without internet access... how did you even know what was going on?"

"When someone tried to kill us, we ran," Kate commented. "The days went past, we avoided people, and stayed alive. We've been lucky, so far."

* * *

That afternoon, Josh had to go back to guarding his tunnel, to make up for skipping the morning watch. He didn't go alone, however – he checked with Gordon, and invited Mike. The offer was instantly accepted, and the men grinned, glad to have some time to discuss 'guy stuff'. Nikki and Kate were just as happy to see them go.

"You ever find it... weird, to only have one person to talk to?" Nikki asked. Kate shrugged.

"We got used to it," Kate said briefly.

"I like your jacket," Nikki commented, and Kate grinned smugly.

"Was a hard sale. Mike didn't like it. But... we can see who won that fight."

"I think I could count the number of arguments Josh and I have had in the past few years on one hand..." Nikki said, looking amazed. "I don't know how you can live together."

"It's not that hard," Kate pondered, for the first time wondering how they _did_ manage it. "I think we're just both too stubborn to not argue. And it allows us to consider every option available."

"Well, that's one plus," Nikki replied, smiling broadly. Something flickered behind her eyes, as she considered what to say next. "But you must have missed female company. Someone of your own species."

Kate laughed. "Yes, well. But, we're trying to survive. Beggars can't be choosers, as they say."

"True. But still... tell me..." Nikki smiled innocently. "Do the arguments get worse once a month?"

Kate laughed again, but this time it sounded forced, and Nikki watched her friend's face shadow slightly. Kate saw the piercing look she was receiving, and hesitated. For a moment, there was silence. When Nikki finally broke it, her voice was soft.

"You haven't told Mike yet?" she guessed.

Kate swallowed, wondering when she'd become so easy to read. For a second, she considered playing dumb, but then reminded herself that Nikki deserved more. She sighed.

"No."

"How far?"

"I'm not... maybe two months?" she hazarded. Nikki nodded slowly, then reached forward and clasped Kate's hand.

"It's scary," she said sympathetically. Kate paused, her next words stiff and slow.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered, her tongue feeling heavy. Somehow, she'd escaped ever facing this problem before. Nikki nodded, understanding, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I can't help you. Just, tell Mike. Soon."

* * *

"So, have you seen anyone else that we know?" Mike asked. Josh shrugged.

"Saw Pete once... Buffer. That was over a year ago though... don't know where he was headed, I didn't get a chance to speak to him personally..."

He paused, looked like he wanted to say something, but then stopped. Mike raised an eyebrow, and he sighed. "How much do you put on gut instinct?"

"A lot," Mike replied. Josh considered.

"Now, I don't have any facts supporting this... purely my gut... but I just... I think some of ours might have been involved in the African disaster."

Mike's eyes widened, and Josh quickly continued. "Just a feeling, I promise you, there's nothing else behind it. Nikki thinks I'm mad whenever I try to bring it up."

"It's possible, of course," Mike mused. He sighed. "This is messed up. All of it."

"Yep. And we have to do what we can to survive."

"I know. But it's so hard to... try and forget about everyone else we care about." Mike sighed again. "But Africa? Crap..."

"Gut instinct," Josh reminded him, and Mike's lips twitched.

"So you said. But your instincts are very good."

"Yeah." Josh sighed. "So, have you heard about the new Allies problem?"

"The fact that they're now trying to kill us as well?" Mike asked, and nodded grimly. "Honestly, I don't understand it..."

"It's not that hard to understand," Josh cut in. "The Alphae are winning. I give it a year, max."

"Of course, a lot of them are Americans... they don't know when they're beat."

"True. And what about the offer?"

"What offer?" Mike asked, confused. Josh stared at him.

"You don't read the newspapers?" he asked. Mike snorted.

"I _try_. Kate's got something against them. Maybe I missed something. It's been a hectic week, after all..."

"Ha, women... Nikki's the same, reckons that the Alphae are controlling the media... but still... this is big. It was front page stuff. It's kind of scary that you don't know."

"Well, then, tell me," Mike suggested, rolling his eyes. Josh swallowed, and began to explain the "offer".

* * *

"Essentially, it's just the Alphae getting lazy," Nikki said, explaining to Kate about the offer, not knowing that their respective boyfriends were doing the same thing. "They've decided that instead of wasting resources chasing down fugitives, they'll scrap the entire idea and stop chasing them."

Kate swallowed, wondering what exactly this meant. Nikki caught her look, and nodded.

"Not _that_ simple, of course. There was a front page article on it, about a week back. Josh has this thing for newspapers... it's weird."

Kate snorted. "So does Mike... must be a guy thing. So, you were saying..."

"Works on a register system, as far as I can tell... you have to present yourself, they take all your details... and you're free to go, so long as they can keep tabs on you, make sure you're not about to join the revolution..."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Hell. That sounds reliable."

"Actually, I think it might be for real," Nikki replied, fidgeting slightly under Kate's scrutiny. "Think about it. Money – they can work on finding us, putting out reward money, paying teams of Alphae... or they can let us come to them. Time – Ace's hold over the country is getting stronger – the sooner he gets us out of the way, the better, and the way things are going, we're just going to remain holed up until... something happens. And third – personally, I think this is the most important factor – while the Alphae are pushing back the Allies, they've been having a lot of problems down south with the Rebels..."

"I thought those were just rumours..." Kate said. Nikki shrugged one shoulder.

"Their decision means fugitives will have _somewhere_ to go. Possibly. Which means they won't join the rebels for the hell of it. They're cutting down enemy numbers with barely any effort."

Kate considered. "True," she murmured. "And even if there isn't a rebellion yet, one might form..."

"I'm pretty sure there is one," Nikki commented. Kate glanced at her, and she shrugged. "It's logical that one would form... did you hear the Allies are losing control of Melbourne?"

Kate nodded. "You're saying that the rebels caused that?"

"They didn't just cause it... they now own most of northern Victoria."

Kate frowned. "A force we're not _entirely_ sure exists is running part of the country?"

Nikki laughed. "Well, the Allies _are_ being pushed out, but so far the Alphae haven't been able to move past the border, so _someone_ must be responsible for that..."

Kate tried to recall her high school geography lessons. "What about Tasmania?" she asked suddenly. "I haven't heard anything about the Tassies..."

Nikki frowned. "Well, for a while, I think everyone assumed they had just been hit by the original takeover... but recently there's been doubts about it..."

"You don't reckon they kept on independently?" Kate asked, suddenly realising the possibilities. Nikki jumped up, and grabbed the laptop again.

"There's an international website, says who owns what at the moment... also shows statistics..."

"Statistics?" Kate frowned, trying to work out what that meant. Within seconds, Nikki had the webpage open. A large map of Australia appeared, colour coded.

"Red is Alphae controlled... Green is Allied... and brown is unknown or neutral."

Kate stifled a gasp. More than seventy percent of the island was a striking shade of crimson. The lower half of South Australia was green, as was the north-west of Western Australia. Most of the Simpson Desert was brown. Victoria was a combination of green, red, and brown – whatever was happening down there, the website creators weren't sure.

Kate's eyes lowered, finally settling on the tiny island of Tasmania.

It was a bright blue.

"What the hell is blue?" she wondered aloud. Nikki bit her lip, and scrolled around the page, looking for more information. Suddenly, her eyes widened, the cursor resting above the key.

"Blue is... New Zealand." There was silence for a moment, as they both reassessed the image.

"Makes sense..." Kate said eventually. "The Allies didn't want to spread out, try and cover everything at once... so the Kiwis took control."

"Are they working with the Allies, or not?" Nikki asked. Kate shrugged.

"I would have thought with... unless they're acting completely on their own... definitely not against."

"Okay, let me show you that stats page."

"Stats?" Kate queried again.

"It's an American site... official, and supposedly kept free of bias. It records the location of all visitors, so we can see who's been looking at it..."

A pie chart appeared. "We're red," Nikki advised her. The red sector took up approximately a fifth of the total graph. Kate studied the page, losing interest quickly.

"Doesn't exactly help us, though, does it?" she commented. Nikki shrugged.

"Proves we're not forgotten... here. Scan around the site for a while, catch up."

* * *

"You sound interested," Mike said flatly, after Josh finished explaining about the offer. The man shrugged.

"We have to think about it, don't we? Don't just dismiss things because you don't like them."

Mike noticed the strength in Josh's voice, and finally had to accept – he wasn't the same person. The years had changed him; some differences were obvious, others much more subtle.

"We can't give up," Mike finally replied. "We can't run away from this war, just because it seems too big..."

Josh snorted. "Nice. But not really practical. B – Mike, there are times when running away is your only option." Mike growled softly to himself.

Josh licked his lips, searching for a way of explaining. Finally, he found his voice.

"It's... it's not just about me, or us. It's Jade," he began, a hint of desperation in his voice. "She doesn't deserve this. This wasn't her choice, it shouldn't affect her... I want her to go to school, make friends, have sleepovers, be a normal kid."

Mike's growl stopped abruptly, as he realised the implications the offer would have on two people like Josh and Nikki.

"She's a five year old cynic. She doesn't trust anyone except us. She knows never to stray too far or leave the tunnel. She's a little girl who barely understands what the sun is!"

Mike swallowed, noticing the pain in Josh's eyes. "I don't know what we'd do if something happened to her. We don't have very good medical equipment down here. And I think she might need glasses soon... her depth perception isn't so great."

He took a deep breath, continuing forcefully. "I don't care about morals any more. I care about her, and Nikki. I want to do what's best for them. I need to do what's best for my family. I need to give Jade a chance at a real life."

He looked pleadingly into Mike's eyes, and despite everything, one thing had not changed – he knew what he wanted to do, he knew all the factors involved; but he wanted advice, he wanted someone to agree with him. He wanted permission to abandon his duty to his country, to be allowed to remain faithful to his family.

Mike nodded once, stiffly, finally accepting that sometimes things weren't as black and white as he liked to think. It wasn't just a fight between with two sides – it was a war, involving lives and hearts, soldiers, Alphae, fugitives, families.

He wondered what he'd do if ever he was faced with that sort of decision. Family or freedom. He shivered, and hoped he would never have to find out.


	9. Chapter 9

**2020 – Fugitive, part nine**

"After you come out here..." Josh traced the tunnel along the map. "You've got three directions to choose from. South-east takes you to a small road, heads around the Simpson and down towards SA. North is probably easiest, you'd be right on the road to Mount Isa... but there's not much there. A lot of suburbia around there, too... probably not the best option. If you still want to head west, there's a highway heading west-south-west... goes through Alice Springs."

"You know anything about the politics out back?" Mike asked, looking over the map.

"I think the Alphae have spot camps, nothing major... the Allies have been looking to secure a position there, but I don't think they've had much luck..."

"If there's a rebel force growing, it'll be near Alice," Nikki said. Kate glanced up, acknowledging the input.

"We want to be somewhere unstable," Mike said. "This many people fighting, they won't have time to pay attention to us."

"So long as you don't get caught in the crossfire," Josh commented flatly. Mike shifted uneasily, nodding.

"It's as good a direction as any," Kate told him. "I still think that the further west we go, the better..."

"The Alphae have Perth," Nikki warned. "Shark Bay might be okay..."

"That's a long way away," Mike said, waving aside her concern. "We'll may find something else before then."

The decision wasn't spoken aloud, but they already knew that they would try and head west. The Alphae control was strongest near the coast, and weakened further inland. The Allies had tried to take advantage of this weakness, but soon realised _why_ the Alphae had ignored the desert areas – there was nothing out there worth fighting for.

The goodbyes were quick. Then men shook hands, the girls hugged, and then they set off, guided by another of Josh's new friends.

The tunnel stretched out, long, black and empty, silent except for the faint rattle of skittering paws.

_Let's get going_, Mike signed, once again reluctant to speak. Kate nodded, and they set off, footsteps echoing loudly in the darkness.

* * *

"I want a town," Mike whined. Kate rolled her eyes, adjusting the straps on her backpack.

"There'll be one soon," she promised. They'd camped rough the previous night, using a large fire and each other to keep warm, having finally emerged from the dimness of the underground tunnels, much to Kate's relief.

"We need a proper place to sleep. Seeing Nikki... I mean, they had _beds_! I want a bed."

"You're acting like a five year old," Kate snapped, walking faster, hoping that soon he wouldn't have the breath for talking.

Mike caught up, panting, grabbing her arm, forcing her to slow down. "You've been snarky all morning. What's up?"

She shrugged. "Just what you've been saying. I'm sick of all this. Again. Still."

Mike nodded, one hand resting on her shoulder for a moment. She immediately felt bad. She knew why she was moody this morning; but she didn't know how she was going to explain it to him. She didn't know how he'd react.

There was very little shade along the highway. A few sparse trees, and a semi-arid landscape that was slowly devolving into desert. Kate swallowed. _Tell Mike_, Nikki had said. How was it that easy? She swallowed, and opened her mouth.

"Did Nikki tell you about 'the offer'?" Mike asked, before she could say anything. She nodded, closing her mouth. "Did she tell you that she and Josh were considering it?"

Kate frowned, and nodded again. He caught her expression. "He was telling me about it. And... maybe, for them... it could work."

"I would have thought you'd be the last person to admit that," she said. He sighed.

"Josh was pretty persuasive. Made me realise how lucky we have been..."

Kate couldn't look him in the eye. Mike didn't notice. They walked in silence, as she decided to wait a little longer before exposing her secret.

* * *

Late that afternoon, they reached a town. Or, what passed as a town in the flat desert. There was a few houses, a small all-purpose store, the remains of a petrol station, and a large town hall. Gardens had been carefully cultivated to create a sense of streets, easing the starkness of the background, and to their left was a corral, with a few dozen mangy horses stirring up dust.

"You want to go shopping this time?" Kate asked. She smirked. "I believe I owe you a pair of tongs."

Mike grinned. "That you do... I let you buy that jacket, after all."

Kate rolled her eyes. "What _is it_ with you and my hoodie? It's warm, comfortable..."

"Doesn't suit you," he mumbled. She sighed.

"I like it, and it's mine now. That's all that matters. Now go buy some bloody tongs."

They had started towards the store, when something caught Kate's eye.

_Hold it,_ she signalled. _Pretend to be talking casually._

He turned to her, no long walking. "What is it?" he asked, trying to keep his face free of emotion.

"I thought... what's that?" He followed her gaze to the left. A plume of dust was rising into the air, above the highway they had just been following.

"A car," he said dismissively.

"Okay... but I saw something else," she said. "Do we know who owns this town?"

"Alphae, I would have thought... though Josh and Nikki told us that this whole area is still being fought over..."

"We should keep going," she said, swallowing. She was thirsty, and had been looking forward to a rest – but instinct was telling her to run; run far, run fast. Mike gazed down at her.

"I don't see anything," he said. "Kate, we haven't stocked up on new supplies... we might not reach another town for days..."

"I want to leave, now," she replied. The evening was progressing around them, and it was getting colder by the minute. As if guided by some deep instinct, she flipped up her hood, the soft fabric brushing her ears. Mike grimaced. She could see him battling between his desire to be cautious and his urge to be reckless.

A movement caught her eye. A black-clad figure, standing in a doorway. She silently told Mike – the figure was behind him, and he wouldn't be able to see it.

_Okay. Move._

They started walking again, as casually as they could manage. Kate could feel her adrenal glands opening, fresh energy slipping through her like a drug.

"Calm down," Mike whispered softly. Her steps were fast and tight, and he knew that the slightest touch would force her to explode.

"Mike... there's nowhere to run," she hissed back. He could hear the fear leaking into her voice, and tried to remain calm. Odds were, they weren't in trouble. Those black-uniformed figures might not be Alphae. They might not be looking for them. _Yeah_, he thought sarcastically. _Right_.

Mike caught a flash of black out of the corner of his eye. An Alpha, skulking in the shadows, tailing them. He swallowed. He glanced around. Another, to their left. Two standing in an open doorway, eyes following them.

"Plan... now..." she suggested, and his mind kicked into overdrive. The town was too small to play hide-and-seek for long. They couldn't run straight into the desert. If they followed the highway west, the Alphae would just drive after them.

"We'll be out after that corner," he said reassuringly, though his own heart was thudding frantically against his chest. He suddenly noticed how still the town was. Surely there should be people, moving around, talking?

"And then what?" she asked, her voice low. He tried to concentrate. He knew there was something, there had to be a way... They hadn't survived this long to be caught now. Kate was shivering slightly, even though her jacket was keeping her perfectly warm in the chill dusk.

Images flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but picture how this would play out – the Alphae would suddenly rush them, from all sides; they would run, or try to. They might not make it, or, maybe they would; in which case, the Alphae would bring them down with Targas. He felt a cold sweat break out across his back. If the Alphae were using rubber bullets again, they wouldn't be killed. They'd be forced to the ground, if they weren't there already, cuffed, and –

"Stop thinking about it," Kate said, interrupting his thoughts. Mike swallowed. He didn't need to ask how she knew what was going through his head – the same fears were running through hers.

_Think!_ he commanded himself. There had to be something he was missing... if they made it around the corner, they'd be headed west, slightly nor-west...

Then it dawned on him, beautifully simple. _Sunset._ The setting sun, a brilliant ball of red and orange fire – directly above the horizon. It might be enough. It could be enough.

"Kate," he whispered. She turned her head to look at him, and he frowned slightly. With the hood up, she couldn't see out of the corner of her eyes, like he could. He considered saying something, but decided informing her of his plan was more important.

"When I tell you, run."

"We're surrounded," she said coldly.

"When I say, run. Get around the corner, and along the road."

"They'll have cars..."

"The sun will be in their eyes... we'll be out of sight for a while. We get onto the road, then head right. They won't know which way we went, or when."

"That's a pathetic plan," she commented. "Let's go for it."

Behind them, they could hear a slight hum – a car, probably the one they had seen approaching a few minutes ago.

"Ready..." Mike said softly, and Kate tensed even further. He had no doubt that she would explode forward. They could do this. They were fast enough, strong enough.

"I love you," she said suddenly, and his jaw clenched.

"I know. I love you, too," he replied. They didn't have time for anything more romantic.

"Go!"

He shouted, and they instantly bolted. A car door slammed – several doors, actually. The slap of their running feet echoed around the street, and a second later they heard another few pairs of footsteps take off after them.

They leapt around the corner, a stream of bullets bouncing off the ground behind them.

_Rubber_, Mike thought, confirming his earlier suspicions, hearing the dull thud the projectiles made on impact. Desperation added extra power to his legs, and his speed increased.

Kate noticed Mike pull slightly ahead of her, and gritted her teeth, determined to keep up. She ducked her head, her eyes already stinging from her first glance of the setting sun. The Alphae hadn't been expecting the sudden lack of vision – and fell back. Kate felt her heart leap in excitement, hope rising. _They were going to make it_.

Mike's plan had failed to account for one thing. The Targa guns were self aiming, by automatically locking on to movement. And the Targas weren't bothered by the quality or quantity of light.

Kate heard a volley of pops behind her. There was no time to dodge, or move –

The bullets thudded into the ground behind her. _Range_, she thought giddily. _The Targa can't hit distant targets._

The Alphae had regained their bearings, and were now running full pelt behind them, Targas aimed forwards. All Kate could hear was the sound of her footsteps on the road, and her own heavy breathing. She glanced up, and saw Mike, running just ahead of her. She knew he was looking for a hiding place, something to keep them safe while the Alphae went past.

She twisted her head slightly, trying to see how far behind their pursuers were. The hood of her jacket cut out her peripheral vision, and unconsciously, she slowed, so that she could look right behind her.

She never heard the pop. There was only the sudden, explosive pain in her left leg, as a heavy chunk of solid rubber slammed into the back of her knee. For a second, she continued running, autopilot taking over while she tried to work out what was happening and where the pain had come from – then her next stride attempted to place all of her weight on her injured knee, a fresh spike of pain hit her, and the leg crumpled.

She didn't notice the impact with the ground, or the bruise that instantly began forming on her shoulder. Her vision darkened, and her consciousness narrowed, until all she could feel was the throbbing, burning, agony. She could no longer pinpoint the exact source – it was everywhere at once, and waves of hot and cold were washing over her, until all she wanted was to black out.

* * *

One second, he could hear her frantic breaths behind him, the next... silence. Well, not exactly silence; there was still his own heavy breathing, the sounds of shouting behind them, and in the distance, the soft hum of an engine.

But the noises that were _Kate _were gone. He glanced out of the corner of his eye – Kate was gone.

Icy claws gripped him – he skidded to a halt, and looked back. She had fallen, and was now halfway between him and the Alphae.

But the black-clad police were no long looking at the two fugitives – and a second later, Mike knew why. Gunfire suddenly erupted behind them, and three of the Alphae dropped like lead bowling balls.

_There's a lot of contention in the outback towns..._

_I'll say_, thought Mike. The Allies were here.

* * *

The sound of gunfire – actual gunfire, not Targa-fire – brought Kate out of the hazy depths of unconsciousness. She propped herself up onto her elbows, looked back, and saw the Alphae's attention focused elsewhere, on a new enemy.

Josh had warned them not to get caught in the crossfire – for the moment, it looked like the crossfire would save them.

Biting back dizziness, Kate picked herself up, and cautiously prepared to take a step. She squinted against the sun ahead of her, just able to make out Mike, waiting nervously.

"Go!" she called. "I'm fine, I'll catch up!"

Before she even shifted the weight off her right leg, she knew there was no chance of her 'catching up'. Teeth latched onto her bottom lip, she tried anyway. A burst of pain sent her sprawling back to the ground, her knuckles scraping the smooth tarmac. Lights flashed behind her eyes, and she blinked, desperately pushing herself upright.

Behind them, the Alphae were returning fire on the attacking Allies. Kate knew that they didn't have long before one side claimed victory.

"Run!" she yelled at Mike, her voice shrill above the rattle of the guns. He didn't move. He seemed frozen, trapped between two impossibilities.

_You bastard_, she thought. _Don't come back, not for me..._

"Mike, run!"

Once more, she managed to haul herself to her feet. She attempted to hop on one foot, but the motion was too unbalanced, and as soon as she put her left foot down, she fell again.

"GO!" she screamed. _Please Mike..._ "Just go! Run, now!"

He didn't miss the pleading note in her voice. Still, he couldn't move. He couldn't force himself to break eye contact.

She felt salty tears sting the corners of her eyes. She knew, instinctively, certainly, that she was as good as dead. But she was not going to let him die alongside her.

"Damn you," she choked out. "Just... run..."

She couldn't crawl without her knee hitting the ground. There was no way she could run, or even walk. She could barely stand.

And still, Mike stood there, eyes wide, face rippling with emotion. Disbelief. Uncertainty. Despair. No anger just yet...

_You can live without me_, she thought helplessly. _Please, Mike, for the love of God... get out of here._

Aloud, she yelled at him again, just as the dammed tears broke free, isolated droplets tickling her cheeks.

"Run! You stubborn fool, get out of here!"

His gaze suddenly flickered, and she realised he was looking at whatever was going on behind her. She listened – there was a gunshot, and another. She felt a shiver pass through her, and couldn't bring herself to look back. It didn't really matter who had won the dispute – both sides would probably kill her. Except the Alphae were likely to torture her first.

Snapping out of whatever trance he'd been sucked into, Mike moved.

"No!" Kate screamed. "No, you idiot, run _away_!"

He was running – back to her. But when there was still a chance, while it was still possible to fight, she always would – so she pushed herself up, for what must be the final time. He came up beside her, and she flung an arm around his shoulder, leaning heavily on his broad frame.

There was the sound of running footsteps behind them, as the Allies came to investigate the pair who had so interested the Alphae.

Just then, their only advantage disappeared in a blaze of red and gold, and the second engine they had heard made its appearance – a van skidded onto the highway in front of them, blocking their only path of escape.

For the first time, there was truly nowhere to go, and no way to run. Mike stopped, looking around, searching for somewhere to hide, anywhere. The approaching Allied soldiers were so close, he could make out the grim expressions on their faces, and they were still running closer.

Kate felt her last reserves of energy vanish. She groaned, feeling her knees buckle, the left one burning furiously again. The landscape swam confusingly in front of her. Her arm was still wrapped around Mike's shoulder, his around her waist, and he found himself being pulled to his knees beside her.

He closed his eyes, defeat pressing down on his shoulders, as the noses of a dozen rifles swung around to face them.


	10. Chapter 10

**2020 – Fugitive, part ten**

"Hold it! Do not move!"

"Hands behind your heads!"

"Now! Do it now!"

Mike slowly loosened his hold on Kate, lifting his hands. He could see her struggling to do as commanded, battling the pain in her leg. He was on his knees, whereas she was sitting, her left leg stretched out in front of her, the entire knee already turning black.

Behind them, one of the Allied soldiers turned to his companion and muttered something. Mike could just make out the writing on his name badge – _Kaplan_. The second soldier nodded, and gestured to the group, most of whom followed him, leaving Kaplan and three others behind. Mike guessed they were off to scour the town for any more lurking Alphae; it didn't really concern him. There were still four guns aimed at him and Kate, and no chance of running.

For a moment, he caught her eye – the pain reflected in her expression shocked him, and he swallowed. It wasn't just the physical hurt, either. There was a mixture of despair and resignation in the look she gave him, and the latter was what scared him. It was as if she knew they had reached the beginning of the end – or some stage beyond that.

He wanted to tell her it would be all right, but he knew that even if he could get the message across, she wouldn't believe him. He didn't believe it himself. Instead, he just held her gaze for as long as he could, no real thought in mind, no plan jumping out at him. He could no longer feel the uneven tarmac pressing into his knees. His mind seemed to have frozen, a pleasant numbness sinking through his body.

Kaplan suddenly nodded, as if he had reached a decision.

"Shoot them," he instructed, American accent clear. Two of his companions nervously fingered their guns, looking towards the fourth remaining Ally, who was glaring at Kaplan. His badge adumbrated his name to be Dale.

"Hold it," he said, frowning. Kaplan glared back. The other two lowered their weapons, seeming to prefer Dale's order. "You know what Kent said."

"And you know what I told him," Kaplan replied harshly. Mike swallowed, listening as their fate was tossed up between two arguing soldiers. To his surprise, Dale suddenly laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh, though; rather, it was bitter and sarcastic.

"Unfortunately, mate, it's not your call. As much as you'd like it to be."

Kaplan growled something unintelligible, and Mike's attention was momentarily caught by Dale's accent. It wasn't American – maybe English. Because of the number of countries involved in the dispute, 2014 was considered to be the beginning of the third world war.

Dale's eyes flickered over Kate, who was struggling to breathe through the pain. He directed his question to Mike.

"What are your names?"

Mike swallowed. "I'm John, and this is my wife, Alicia," he said. It was a well-rehearsed story – though they'd always assumed that if they ever found themselves needing it, it would be too late anyway.

"We're civilians," Kate said through gritted teeth. Kaplan poked her in the back with his rifle.

"_Civilians_ don't refer to themselves as such," he pointed out, grinning wolfishly. She bit back a gasp as the nudge caused her leg to move, jolting her knee.

"We were running _away _from the Alphae," she hissed. "Haven't you ever heard that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

"Yeah, we tried that," Kaplan muttered, poking her again for the fun of it. "But apparently, whoever came up with that was wrong." He turned to the two younger soldiers, and repeated his earlier instruction. "Kill them."

Again, they turned to Dale, who scowled. "Part of the reason they're refusing to help us is because people like _you_, and Patty, and Housden, keep killing every single person you meet!"

"I am _trying_ to help these people in the long run!" Kaplan snapped. Dale's eyes flashed, and Kate glanced at Mike, echoing his earlier thought – their lives depended on the winner of an Allied power play.

"No, you're trying for a promotion. I'm the one trying to help them!"

As his voice got louder, Dale's half-buried accent became clearer. He was Australian. Mike blinked in surprise; so far, they hadn't heard of any of the Allies being Australian – because they had never been able to tell if they could trust someone.

"I don't care whether they're civilians, Alphae, or Rebels, we've got trouble from all sides, so I'm damn well going to –"

Dale silenced him with a single glance. "Why do you think Kent gave us a _van_ if he didn't want us to _use it_, as per his _instructions_?"

Kaplan scowled, giving the two fugitives one last sweeping glance, his gaze resting on Kate's injured knee. He smirked.

"Okay." He lifted his rifle, pointed it at Kate. "Get up," he invited mockingly.

If looks could kill, Kaplan would have been dead thrice over in that moment. Nevertheless, Kate forced herself upright, her breathing growing more ragged as she tried to put more weight on her left leg. Mike stood up, and held an arm around her waist, trying to keep her upright.

But it still wasn't enough. Kaplan was sneering at Dale, hoping that if Kate couldn't walk, he'd have his excuse to shoot her, if not both prisoners. Sensing the ill-will being projected at them, Mike changed position, and before Kate knew what he was doing, he had her in his arms. For a moment, it looked like she was going to protest – there was certainly nothing dignified about the position – but as his first step caused a wave of agony so strong she nearly passed out, she just tightly shut her eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dale jerked his head in the direction of the van blocking the road ahead of them. Mike swallowed, and started walking towards it. Kaplan snorted, and moved off ahead of them. There was a soft touch on the side of his face, and Mike looked down, to see Kate's pain-filled eyes staring at him.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. He blinked in surprise. "I just... needed you to know. This isn't your fault. I don't blame you."

The faintest traces of a smile touched his lips, and he paused a second to kiss her gently on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed again, and he wasn't quite sure whether she was still conscious. Maybe it was better that she wasn't.

* * *

She wasn't exactly unconscious. If she thought about it, she could still feel the comforting warmth of his arms around her, could still hear his heartbeat in her ear – but she wasn't quite sure where she was, or why; only that great suffering lay on the other side of wakefulness, and that she didn't want to be there.

Something was humming nearby – she tried to focus on it, but as she moved slightly, the presence of Mike's arms became more pronounced, and she dropped back into the smooth pain free, darkness.

For a long time, the mysterious grey-black around her was everything and nothing. It was all she had to think about, but in reality, impossible to focus on. Eventually, the feeling of Mike's proximity disappeared. She tried to struggle against the concept, but found herself incapable of moving or speaking.

In her leg, a sharp pain – different to the impact of the bullet, though. It was immediately followed by the sensation of something cold under her skin, mingling with her blood and gradually cutting off all feeling.

The cold. She fought against the lethargic feeling over her, blinked rapidly, squinting as the fluorescent lights above her became clearer. There was the feeling of fabric on her leg, and when she tried to move, a hand pushed her back down with ridiculous ease. Vaguely, she could tell there was something strapped to her leg – either metal, or the hard plastic-rubber dublo-fibre.

It was another minute before she worked out where exactly she was – a medical centre. How she had got there, she didn't know. One minute, she'd been in Mike's arms, now she was here.

Her thought train came to a jarring halt. Mike! Where was he. She struggled to sit up again, and this time no-one stopped her. She looked around. The room was small, with basic medical tools in cupboards and on desks. Bandaging her leg was a middle aged man in a white coat. While she stared at him, he kept working, creating a splint along the side of her leg. She swallowed, not knowing what to say.

"Shattered the kneecap from behind," he said suddenly, and she frowned. He glanced at her for a moment. "Try not to move. I've reset the bone, but I can't guarantee it'll stay like that."

She nodded dumbly. Seeing her expression, the man paused for a moment to introduce himself.

"Sergeant Freeman, field medic for the ninth regiment of ground relief for the Allied forces."

She simply nodded again, now understanding, but not particularly liking, the situation. He finished wrapping her leg in silence, as she pieced together the last few hours. The Allies who had captured them had brought them back to their base. She didn't know where Mike was, and that was a minus. It did, however, appear that they weren't about to be killed, because then they wouldn't have bothered with a medic. A plus.

There was a strange feeling in her leg – not quite pain, though she knew it should be hurting. She couldn't be certain, but she guessed morphine. Or maybe just whatever anaesthetic Freeman had used to keep her down while he worked. Either way, it was wearing off now, and as the medic taped the bandage into place, a dull echo of pain ran up her leg, and she flinched.

Freeman glanced up, noted the tightness in her jaw, and applied the second bit of tape more gently. He then turned away, selected a bottle, and tipped a pale blue pill into his hand. He held it out to her.

Kate didn't move. "For the pain," he explained. She remained in place, not sure that it wasn't a trick. It could be something to make her start talking. It could dull her senses so much she wasn't aware of what was going on – and as much as she wanted to escape this nightmare, she wasn't going to do it through drugs.

"Medium strength painkiller," Freeman reassured her, and reluctantly, she plucked it from his hand with two delicate fingers, but didn't take it immediately.

"Why would you want to help me?" she asked quietly. His attitude seemed completely at odds with that of the Allied soldiers they had last encountered.

For a moment, he gazed at her. He had grey eyes, the left one with flecks of brown, and she found herself unable to stare back. Then he relaxed, leaning against the bench behind him.

"My parents wanted me to be a doctor. I got the grades, so I went to med school. They were killed in a car crash when I was in my third year."

Kate swallowed, not sure what to say. He continued.

"I dropped out and joined the army. Later on, because I was mostly trained, I became a medic. I don't like seeing people in pain if I can help it."

The explanation was short and to the point. Kate wasn't really listening however – her eyes had found a scalpel, sitting on a bench to her left. Plans started spinning through her mind.

"Don't," Freeman warned softly, and she tensed. "Despite what I just said, I'm still a soldier."

She looked away from the blade, guilt momentarily flashing across her features. The one person who had helped her, and she thought about hurting him.

"What's your name?" Freeman asked, and the guilt was quickly replaced by wariness.

"Alicia," she said stiffly. Deciding she was willing to play the questions game, she asked, "Where's John?"

"Your friend? I only saw him once. He was fine, as far as I could tell." Kate bit her lip slightly, wondering where they had taken him. Would he have left her willingly? Her mind flashed back to his stubborn refusal to leave her, only a scant few hours ago, and knew that he wouldn't have.

"How did you get involved in all of this?" Freeman asked. "And don't say you're not. The Alphae don't shoot civilians."

"By trying not to be," Kate answered, sighing. He nodded, considering.

"And what's your real name?"

This time, she met his gaze, and held it. She didn't bother denying his guess – it didn't really matter. So long as he didn't know her real name. Seeing that she wasn't going to reply, he chuckled slightly, and opened a drawer behind him, pulling out a small plastic container – filled with blood.

"I took a sample earlier," he said, with one eyebrow raised. "We'll have DNA results within the hour."

She looked down, despair hugging her like a blanket once more. If they had access to the ADF databases – which they probably did – they'd know exactly who she was. Then they'd be able to guess who Mike was. What would happen after, she wasn't entirely sure – and she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know.

* * *

It was a cell. That was the only word for it. It had four walls and a locked door. A toilet and a bed. A vent in the door for air. The long side was about two strides, from one wall to the other. He knew, because he'd tried pacing, and failed. He'd done some vertical push-ups off one wall. He'd studied every inch of every wall. He'd stood on the bed – basically a concrete block with a sheet over it – and examined the ceiling.

He didn't expect to find anything. It was immediately obvious there was no secret way out. He had known that from the instant he was shoved in there – that wasn't why he had searched. No. He was bored. Insanely bored. And scared.

Scared for Kate. She hadn't been conscious when he'd been forced away from her side. He'd struggled, and come terribly close to begging when asking to remain with her.

_Somehow, I never believed it would happen_, he thought, finally sitting down. It was what they had feared, what they had run from, what they had known, deep down, that they were destined to face one day – but still, he had always been the optimist. He'd always managed to convince himself that it wouldn't be today, wouldn't be tomorrow... and until now, he'd been right.

_I should have believed her_, he reflected ruefully. _She told me we needed to get out... and I didn't listen. But would it have helped?_

He paced a little longer. He then counted the number of tiles there _would_ be, if the walls had had tiles. He measured the dimensions of the cell exactly. Well, as exactly as he could, considering he measured the floor in footsteps and the walls with handbreadths.

Several hours must have passed. Then suddenly, there was the sound of the lock turning, and the door began to open. Mike wasn't even conscious of making the decision – but when Kaplan stepped inside, Mike charged him.

There was a blinding flash of pain, and he felt himself hit the wall behind him – and then, suddenly, he was on the floor. He looked up, his vision swimming, his chest burning. He looked up, understanding dawning at the sight of a rectangular object in Kaplan's hand. The soldier pulled him to his feet, and pushed him out the door.

"I have to thank you for that, _John_," Kaplan smirked, using the taser to point down the hall. "I so rarely get to use this."

He was guided into a different room, and dropped into a plastic chair. It was similar to the sort of interview rooms used by cops – but without the camera and microphone. There was only the one chair, and a wide table. On the table was a cardboard box. The Australian soldier Dale was waiting inside, leaning against one wall.

"Where's Alicia?" were his first words. He made sure to use the alias he had already given.

"She's fine," Kaplan replied, shrugging. Mike's jaw clenched.

"Where is she?" Kaplan smirked, but didn't say anything. Mike had to struggle to keep himself seated. There was nothing to be gained from launching himself at Kaplan, other than another taser treatment – and he was in no hurry for another one of them.

"What do you want with us?" he asked. He could not think of how he or Kate could be helpful to the Allies – they had no information, no contacts. Unless the Allies thought they did.

"You were running away from Alphae. In this time, that's not very common," Dale said, not moving from his position against the wall. "Now, knowing that you're not on our side, you're not Alphae, and you're likely _not_ civilians..."

"Fugitives or rebels," Kaplan finished. "The latter of which is a _huge _pain in the back for us, the former of which usually end up joining the latter."

For a moment, Mike didn't say anything, as he tried to work out why the rebels and the Allies couldn't work together – they wanted the same thing, right? He considered saying as such, but realised it might make him sound like a sympathiser – which probably wasn't the best move.

"I'm not a rebel," he said stiffly. Dale's eyes flickered towards Kaplan slightly.

"So you're a fugitive," Kaplan stated.

"No," Mike lied. "Alicia and I... aren't anyone. We don't know why the Alphae were chasing us. Mistaken identity."

_And that_, he thought to himself, _is the end. That story has more holes in it than a colander._

Kaplan obviously thought so, too. He sighed loudly, as if he didn't want to be doing this, and started sorting through the contents of the cardboard box. First, he pulled out folder, and emptied the contents onto the table. Several newspaper clippings. Mike frowned at them.

"Go ahead, have a peek," Kaplan sneered. Knowing that it couldn't be good news, Mike cautiously picked one up.

It was the same photograph of himself and Kate they had seen a week ago.

"It's too grainy to make out," he said evasively. Kaplan smiled thinly, and gestured at the others. These, Mike hadn't seen before. The same picture, digitally enhanced until it was crystal clear.

"Your twin brother?" Kaplan asked.

Mike was tempted to claim that it was, just to see the look on Kaplan's face. He managed to restrain himself, dropping the pictures back onto the desk.

"C'mon, Mike, stop bullshitting us and we might be able to come to some sort of arrangement," said Kaplan. For a moment, Mike just scowled – and then he blinked, something clicking. He looked up at Kaplan, who smirked, and reached into the box once more. He pulled out two folders, and dropped them on Mike's lap.

"Bedtime reading," he said. Mike fingered the top folder. He wondered what Kaplan would do if he refused to read it, but suspected it wasn't worth finding out. He opened the file, and read the first line.

His blood ran cold. He didn't even need to ask. He knew what it was. His record from the ADF database. Everything about him; name, rank, history, birth date, even additional comments. Trying not to let his inner turmoil onto his expression, he hastily checked the second file. His hands started shaking.

They knew everything about him, and they knew everything about Kate.

"Took off from Cairns, late November, 2014. On the Alphae's Most Wanted register for close to two years – then, after an unfortunate incident near Burketown, categorised as National Targets. Dropped off the radar for the next three years or so... and then, these." He gestured at the newspapers.

"Were you together all that time?" Dale asked. Mike didn't reply, leaning back in the chair and clenching his jaw.

"What I want to know..." Kaplan began. "Is where you were for those three years, and what you were doing."

Mike let his eyes stray to the ceiling, fixing on various dirty smudges.

"Were you with the rebels during that time?"

Mike looked at Kaplan steadily. "No."

The soldier stared back. "Really? Because that's a long time gap... and you're still in the same state."

"We moved in circles," Mike replied. It was true – they had always been moving, but when they didn't have a specific destination in mind, often returned to previous places, where they knew the layout and the situation.

"I just want to know a few things... how many? What sort of training?"

"I don't know anything," Mike protested.

Kaplan was about to continue his argument, when there was a knock on the door. Closing his mouth, he scowled, and stepped outside. After a moment, Dale pushed himself off the wall, and followed.

Mike sighed at the empty room, looking around it again. No weapons. Nothing useful. He tapped one foot against the floor, waiting. He hated himself. Here he was, untied, unguarded, and he was just sitting here, as if he had given up.

_Well, haven't you?_ he thought, and shuddered slightly.

The door opened again, and Kaplan stalked in, growling to himself.

"Up. Now," he ordered, pulling Mike up before he even had a chance to rise on his own.

He was shoved back into the little cell, and couldn't find the energy to protest.

_I don't know anything they want to know_, he thought bitterly. _But they know everything._

For a moment he just stood there – and then slumped backwards against the closest wall, sliding down to the floor. His forehead met his knees and his shoulders started to shake.

"Kate," he whispered. It had been a few hours since he had seen her – long, lonely hours. For the past six years, he had spent nearly every waking and sleeping moment with her. All his movements were coordinated with hers. He felt like something a part of him had been ripped out. As he pictured her face, and remembered the flash of pain that he had seen before being pulled away, he felt his eyes burning. He choked in a breath, trying to remain strong even as the first tears fell.


	11. Chapter 11

**2020 – Fugitive, part eleven**

As the hours passed, Mike tried to sleep. He slipped into a light doze, a hazy dream appearing, in which he and Kate were still serving on the Hammersley. Then a memory, of yesterday evening, only this time, when Kate was shot, she didn't get up.

He stood up, and paced around his cell for a bit, but it was too small for him to burn any energy. He dropped back onto the concrete bed, praying for the hours to pass.

_They're going to kill you in the morning_, he thought. He had no reason to believe otherwise. The interrogation had ended because the Allies had worked out there was nothing he could tell them. And what was the point in keeping him and Kate alive? No wonder Dale had looked at him so pityingly when he'd been thrust back in here.

_Let me see Kate again_, he pleaded silently. _Just... a minute with her. Let me kiss her, tell her I love her._

He drifted off again. He was back underground, with Josh and Nikki. _We should have stayed_, he thought numbly. He moaned, rolling over. _Not Africa. Don't let them have been stupid enough to try for Africa..._

_Run! Please, Mike, get out of here..._ He shivered, his mind returning to the night before again. Should he have run? For a moment, he had wanted to. But when she said his name... he'd run back towards her. He swallowed. He'd rather be dead alongside her than still living without her.

He was sitting up, staring blankly at the ceiling when Kaplan came back. Briefly, Mike wondered why Kaplan and Dale were the only ones he had seen. Were the Allies keen to hide as much as possible from them, in case they landed in the hands of their enemies?

"Get up," Kaplan instructed. Mike stood, and the soldier gestured for him to hold his hands out. Sighing slightly, he did so. Kaplan did not look happy.

_Why not?_ Mike wondered. Kaplan had been all for killing them last night – had that changed, or was that still not the plan? He didn't feel he had the liberty to ask.

Kaplan slipped a pair of dublocuffs over his wrists. Shortly after dublo-fibre had first gained popularity, the police force had found them to be more effective than conventional handcuffs. Dublocuffs were basically a thin dublo-fibre rope that buckled behind the wrists, where it was impossible to reach them. The buckle could be locked by key for additional security, which Kaplan did. Even though his hands were bound in front, Mike found himself unable to move them. Unlike metal or rope, they caused very little chafing – but were tight, and within seconds, he felt his fingers tingling as circulation was cut off.

Without a word, Kaplan pushed him out the door, and down the hall. They passed by the interrogation room, and continued towards what Mike thought was the way out. For some reason, the knowledge did not fill him with hope.

* * *

She'd been unconscious – or very close to – when they'd been brought in last night, and had no idea where she was being led. After Freeman had finished examining her leg, the Aussie Ally Dale had taken her to a small cell. She had slept for the next few hours, until he'd come to bring her out again.

Her wrists were bound, and she wondered why. She could barely walk, let alone try anything. Her left leg was stiff, and was still sending sharp knives of pain up her leg every time she put even the slightest weight on it, but the splint meant that at least she could walk on her own. She didn't dare ask where they were going. It wouldn't be good news.

Her progress was slow, but he didn't rush her. She was grateful for that. Shortly, they came to a metal door. Dale opened it, they went through, and Kate stopped. On the other side was a small hanger, with several vehicles inside.

Kate's eyes roved over the sleek grey shapes of the cars, pausing briefly on the van in the centre. She couldn't be certain, but she guessed it was the one she and Mike had been transported in last night. They were all, of course, hydrocars.

The petrol crisis had peaked in 2010. Scientists were going mad looking for alternate ways of powering cars. Electricity couldn't provide enough power, though for a while, it seemed to be the only alternative. The breakthrough was made in 2012, and in 2013, the first hydrocars were distributed.

They ran off water. An electrolysis device was used in addition to the engine to separate the hydrogen and oxygen. The former was combined with a mixture of chemicals to stabilise it slightly and allow it to be burned, in the same way fossil fuels had been. The oxygen was released into the air, along with a ratio of nitrogen to make it breathable.

Cars became _good_ for the environment.

They were, however, much more dangerous. Hydrogen in its pure form was highly explosive. Also, in drought-affected countries like Australia, desalination plants had to be built to keep up with the amount of water required.

But shortly after, Australia had other problems. In an attempt to flush out fugitives, in 2017, the Alphae offered to exchange old petrol cars for new hydrocars, free of charge.

_We were doomed from the beginning,_ Kate thought sadly as Dale directed her towards the van, the back of which was open. At first, she wondered how she would get in, but then saw that there was a ramp, which would later close to become the bottom half of the back door.

The van hadn't been designed as a people-mover, but modifications had been made to it, fairly recently Kate guessed. A bench had been put in on both sides to act as a long seat, and Kate sat down wearily. She suddenly wished she had more of those painkillers. Or more morphine. Dale sat down beside her, and she looked away.

A minute passed, and then there was the sound of someone else being pushed into the van.

* * *

Mike growled softly at Kaplan as the soldier shoved him up the ramp. A second later, all protests were forgotten, when he saw Kate. Kaplan pushed him down onto the seat opposite her, glanced once at Dale, and headed back out. He closed the ramp and back door, leaving the back of the van in complete darkness. Muttering something to himself, Dale flicked a switch and a fluorescent light came on above them.

_At least she's conscious_, Mike thought, gazing across at her. He was trying to ask her if she was alright without speaking. She nodded, only making the slightest movement, but Dale saw it. He didn't say anything, however, just sighed slightly as the van started up.

"Where are we going?" Mike asked. Dale considered.

"You don't want to know," he said after a moment. Mike narrowed his eyes.

"I know that," he replied softly. "But I'm asking."

Dale's head lifted slightly. He didn't miss the resigned note in Mike's voice.

"It wasn't my decision," he started. "Actually, I argued against it. But..." he shrugged. "I do what I'm told." Mike glared at him. He didn't care whether Dale wanted to pretend he was on their side – and he was beyond euphemisms. He wanted facts, even if they weren't pretty.

"You've each got a fifty thousand dollar bounty on your heads. We're claiming it."

For a moment, Mike was silent. _I really _didn't_ want to know_, he thought.

"I'm sure the Alphae will appreciate it," Kate said dryly. Dale glanced sideways at her. "You might have to explain how that's going to work."

"They're not going to know who we are," he pointed out. Mike snorted.

"Who _you _are, you mean. You're the only one with the accent to pull it off."

For a moment, Dale looked affronted. Then he nodded.

"Well, maybe _we'll_ tell them who you are," Mike threatened. Dale looked at him pityingly.

"By the time you _can_, we'll be gone."

Kate knew he was right. They would probably be knocked out, for the sole reason of _not_ giving up their captors, while Dale would play loyal civilian, collect the reward, and they... She shivered slightly. Things were getting worse by the minute.

"How'd you end up with these jokers anyway?" Mike asked Dale. The soldier shrugged.

"I'm not actually an Australian citizen. I was born and grew up in America. My parents were Australian, though, and my father always tried to 'cultivate' my accent. He hated the American accent. I often wondered why he lived there. Joined the army at nineteen."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Mike's eyes flashed. "You should be here with us," he growled. Dale's lip curled slightly.

"Maybe. The greater good, and all that."

"We spent six years believing it would be your side who would save us," Mike said. "Now, even if you do win, we're not going to be alive to see it."

Dale looked steadily back at him. "I said I'm sorry. Wasn't my idea."

"Very comforting," Kate muttered from beside him. For a moment, Mike met her eyes, and he wanted to cry. Again. She wouldn't look away, and he felt his stomach flip. She was braver than him – always had been. She had assumed, many times, that because he came up with the plans, he was the strong one. What she didn't know was that he'd only been able to do it because he was doing it for her.

If it had been Kaplan in there with them, Mike knew he wouldn't even have thought of it. He wasn't really expecting a positive answer, but maybe it was worth a shot.

"Can we swap seats?" he asked Dale. For a second, the soldier just stared at him, one eyebrow lifting in amusement. Then he snorted softly, and stood up.

The jolting motion of the van combined with his bound hands made things hard, but after a minute he sat down beside her. She looked at him, smiling ever so slightly. He shifted closer, so that their shoulders touched, and she lowered her head so that it was resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. Her realised her eyes were closed. "I never wanted it to end like this."

He spoke quietly, but not with the intention of hiding his words from Dale. He figured the soldier wouldn't stop them talking, so long as he knew they weren't planning something.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. She lifted her head, twisting sideways to look at him. His weary blue eyes were burning through her. He wasn't going to lie, and insist that everything would be all right, and she was glad. They had both always been the sort to prefer the truth over a comforting lie. Desperate for contact, she raised her lips to his.

They never touched – there was a sudden _boom_, a wave of heat, and they were both thrown sideways as the van decelerated from sixty kilometres an hour to about zero, in the space of half a second. Recovering slightly, Dale jumped to his feet, heading for the door.

"Did we just crash?" Kate asked in a whisper. There was a small cut on the side of her head, and Mike frowned.

"No," he murmured, just as quietly. "Something blew up."

He suddenly had a thought. "Kate, shield your head," he instructed, bracing himself. She glanced at him sideways, confused, but at the same time was raising her bound hands to the back of her head. "And close your eyes."

"Why?"

Dale reached the door, pulling his rifle off his shoulder. But then, there was a second explosion, much closer this time, and the entire van lifted off the ground. It spun left and tipped over, at the same time rolling end over end, completing two whole revolutions before slamming back down, skidding across the ground, rolling once more, and finally stopping.

There was a moment of utter stillness in the desert. The van was lying on one side, the front half destroyed, the rest of it barely one piece. Not too far away, two men suddenly jumped from their position, and ran towards it.


	12. Chapter 12

**2020 – Fugitive, part twelve**

Kate was trying to push herself up, but was unsure of which way 'up' was. It certainly wasn't where it was supposed to be. It was also too dark to see. She closed her eyes, let gravity roll her over, and tried again.

Her head made contact with something solid, and she cursed. It didn't help that her hands were still tied together, so tightly that she couldn't feel, let alone _use_, her fingers. She coughed, lost her balance and ended up on the floor again. Well, not exactly the floor. One wall of the van had become the floor.

_Find Mike. Find the door. And run._

"Mike?" she called. There was a moment of silence, and then something banged near her head. The entire wall to her left – what had been the roof – suddenly dropped away, letting light stream in. She blinked, seeing a shiny world of red sand in front, Mike crouched beside her.

"You alright?" he asked. She nodded, not taking the time to actually find out before answering. Apart from the pain in her knee, she couldn't feel anything wrong.

"What was that?" she wondered.

"I don't know what the first explosion was, but the second was the hydrogen tank losing the plot. Can you stand?"

"Yep," she replied, and then decided to find out. She crawled away from the van, and was about to push herself to her feet when she heard running feet.

_Alphae?_ she thought fearfully, looking around. _What would Alphae be doing in the middle of the desert?_ She didn't have high hopes for Dale and Kaplan's survival.

_Rebels? My, aren't we popular!_

Mike came up beside her, as two armed men skidded around the overturned van to face them. For an instant, everything was still, and the two fugitives stared at the arrivals – one of them in particular. They were only a few strides apart, so even six years hadn't made enough changes to hide his identity.

For an instant, Kate was able to ignore the pain in her shattered kneecap, took three small steps forward, and hugged him. Smiling softly, he wrapped one arm around her, the other reaching forward to shake Mike's hand.

"You trying to help us or kill us?" Mike asked softly, not quite able to believe what he was seeing.

"Ah, well, it wasn't actually _supposed_ to do that," came the sardonic reply.

"Hydrogen is explosive," Mike reminded him. He nodded, his lips twisting.

"Aye, knew there was _something_ I was forgetting."

Kate slowly pushed herself backwards, grinning up at him, hardly able to speak.

"How did you..."

"We know a lot of stuff," he replied vaguely. He pulled out a knife and slashed the fibre around her wrists in one easy movement. Hands free, she flung her arms around his shoulders, a strange feeling welling up within her. _Hope_.

"Is this as good as it looks?" Mike checked.

"How good does it look?"

"Shut up, both of you," Kate whispered, steadily easing herself away from her human support. Finally, she was able to get a decent look at him.

Same face, plus a few nasty scars, same build and determined expression. Same deep, caring brown eyes.

"Pete," Mike said, nodding. It had been nine years since Pete Tomaszewski had served as the Buffer on Hammersley, but there was no forgetting him – or the circumstances of his departure. Mike's gaze drifted towards the second man. He was lean and fit, with golden tanned skin and bright green eyes. There was a scar running diagonally across his jaw, and he had one ear pierced.

"Tyler Hughes," the man introduced himself, holding out a hand for Mike to shake, then remembering Mike's hands were still tied. Smiling at his own mistake, he pulled a knife and quickly sawed off the cuffs. The one disadvantage to dublocuffs was that they were easy to cut, so long as the implement was sharp. Then they shook hands.

"Where now?" Mike asked. Ty nodded his head towards a nearby bluff.

"We've got a car."

Pete turned to Kate. "Can you walk?"

"Just try and stop me," she said fiercely. His lips twitched, the humour fading from his eyes as he saw her flinch at the first step. He quickly offered an arm to support her, which she ignored. Stepping closer, Mike positioned himself to catch her if she fell, but didn't make any move to help – he knew she was too stubborn to accept it, and he didn't want to be rebuffed in present company.

"So how _did_ you know we were here?" Mike asked, glancing slightly towards Ty as he did so.

"You're with the rebel force?" Kate asked, her question directed towards Pete. He nodded.

"Yup. Have been for about... four years now." He then launched into an explanation detailing the last twenty four hours.

"It's a border town. Further east is Allied control, further west is Alphae. We guessed there'd be a confrontation there, soon, kept an eye on it... paid off when we saw you two arrive."

Kate suddenly blinked, her short stride faltering. "I _knew_ there was someone watching us," she muttered, forcing herself to keep moving.

All around them was red sand, dry scrub bushes scattered around. Ty suddenly veered off, running uphill towards a stony outcrop. Kate's eyes followed him warily.

"He went to get our Charlock," Pete said by way of explanation, and Kate frowned, not understanding the term. "Charcoal lock-on G60 – heat seeking rocket launcher."

"That's a great rescue strategy," Mike muttered, kicking at a rock half buried in the sand. Much to his astonishment, it hissed, and scuttled away. Pete just snorted.

"I wasn't expecting it to _explode_," he said. Mike scowled.

"Funnily enough, I _was_, and I wasn't the one holding the rocket launcher."

Kate shot Mike a glare, and missed seeing a rock in the ground. She stumbled, and Pete grabbed one arm to steady her; and for a moment, she didn't push him off. She straightened up, holding in a hiss of pain, while Mike glared back at her.

Fortunately, Ty came back at that moment, a thick tube balanced on one shoulder. It was similar to a bazooka, but shorter, and thicker, and made of an aluminium-steel compound that made it both solid and reasonably lightweight.

Turning away, Mike noticed a shimmer on the horizon, and squinted. Ty saw his confusion, and explained.

"We left the car far enough away that they wouldn't be able to tell what it was on their SVD," he said, and Mike nodded, realising that what he was seeing was the reflection of the sun on the windscreen.

An SVD, short for Small Vehicle Detector, was a small device installed in most military vehicles, similar to the radar used on ships – using an aerial, it could detect any moving or stationary obstacle within a five kilometre radius. It was limited, however, in what information it could give about the object on screen. From a distance, it wouldn't be able to tell a stationary car from a tree or large bush.

"Where are we going?" he asked, not willing to let his paranoia disappear just yet.

"Safehouse," Ty informed him. "Got some things to discuss. Then you can go wherever you want."

***

The safehouse looked more like a shack, and Mike assumed the name referred to the fact that it was hidden from the Alphae rather than its structural integrity. The inside looked a lot better than the outside – there was running water, a solid table, and a few comfortable chairs. Kate sank down into one of the latter, and a moment later realised there was also air conditioning; a good thing, considering the soaring temperatures in the desert at midday, even in winter.

A computer lay dormant in one corner of the single room building, and Ty flicked it on and started typing. A minute later, he nodded to Pete, who was handing the fugitives each a cup of water.

"Anti scanning," Ty explained. "We keep it off when no-one's in here, but when it's on, basically makes the k' around us invisible to all detection devices."

"Our base is somewhere else," Pete added. "It's bigger."

_I think they want to offer us a job_, Mike signed silently to Kate. Pete's eyes followed the hand signals, knowing what they were but not able to comprehend them. Unlike when talking to Nikki, Mike wasn't trying to be subtle – in fact, he was almost flaunting the exclusivity of the dialogue.

_I hope they do_, Kate replied. _I don't want to keep on running until someone catches us. Again._

"How do we join?" Mike asked aloud, sitting back and dropping his hands.

Pete smirked. "Thought you might want to," he said. "But there's a couple of little details we need to go over. It's a one-way decision. In keeping our base location secret, there's a rule – once you join the rebels, you can't leave."

"Unless –" Ty started, and Pete shot him a look. He continued anyway. "Unless we have to evacuate anyway, which doesn't happen very often."

"At all is too often," Pete muttered. "The other thing. It's bloody dangerous. And if you've got a choice between being killed or captured –"

"Is it any more dangerous than being a hunted fugitive?" Mike asked dryly, and Ty's lips twitched with mirth.

"Come to think of it, probably not," he replied. "This is more a formality. We don't have a dotted black line for you to sign on, but we like to make it very clear what you're getting into."

"The Alphae hate us. The New Order hates us," Pete added. The ease with which he and Ty mixed phrases told Mike that the two had worked together before. He felt a moment of sadness. _What happened to the days when we used to be mates? ...and I thought Kate could hold a grudge..._

Quickly, he brought himself back to the present, focusing on what Pete was saying.

"The Alphae are after the fugitives and Allies as well, but they really, _really_ don't like us. We're a smaller group, but we cause them a lot of trouble."

"Is it true the Rebels have northern Victoria under their control?" Kate asked, and Mike glanced at her, wondering where she'd heard that. Pete nodded.

"That's a different group though. We have several dozen groups, all growing... we don't know much about the other groups, for security reasons, but there's a certain level of cooperation."

"So," Ty mused, his gaze travelling over them. "You in, or out? Entirely your choice. No-one's going to hold it against you if you choose not to –"

"We're in," Kate said firmly, cutting off his spiel.

***

Another few hours later, they were jumping out of Ty's four wheel drive, staring at the layout of the camp in front of them. It was big. Very big. Not just a military camp with communal buildings; no, it was an entire town. An actual town.

Kate tried not to think about what had happened to the people who used to live here.

"First stop, someone who wants to see you," Ty said brusquely, gesturing for them to follow.

"Your boss?" Mike guessed. Pete shrugged.

"Not really. It's more council-run than dictated."

"But he's on the council," Ty added.

Pete suddenly smirked, shooting a look at their two companions.

"You already know him, actually."

They headed into a large warehouse style building, their gazes fixed on one man in the middle. Mike swallowed. Kate smiled. He suddenly looked up, saw them, and grinned back.

It was Jim Roth.


	13. Chapter 13

**2020 – Fugitive, part thirteen**

A week passed, the events occurring around them a flurry of movement. Kate was still trying to get used to it. When she woke up in the morning, she didn't have to immediately strain her ears for the sound of danger. The bed she slept in didn't change each night. The town they were in was the same every morning.

From what she'd gathered, the town's inhabitants had cleared off years ago, and the rebels had been using it as a base for the past year and a half. It was a good find. It was almost three times bigger than the size of the rebel force, which meant that even new arrivals like Kate and Mike could choose an empty house of their own. Albeit, the buildings were more for shelter than anything else – they had little power and there were frequently problems with the water supply.

Meals were served in the canteen, the only place with decent electricity and water, a large building separate from the "war room"; the warehouse-turned-conference-centre that the rebels planned missions in.

So far, it appeared there were two types of people living there. The fighters – approximately eighty always-training men and women, who either planned or executed plans designed to hinder the Alphae. Then, the "civilians". People who were there with their loved ones, or for some reason couldn't actively fight and weren't any good at planning. This included the children at the camp, of which there were fourteen, ranging in age from two to sixteen.

Six of the kids were orphans, who had either been found and adopted into the camp, or whose parents had been killed fighting. The eldest, a boy named Aiden, was one of the latter, and while was technically old enough to become a fighter, the council refused to let him – judging, accurately, that he was after vengeance for his father's death rather than the removal of the Alphae.

From an outsider's point of view, Kate could see they had a lot of internal issues. However, they were a society, they were people – and they had accepted her and Mike with barely a second glance.

"It feels slightly surreal," she said, looking out at the training grounds in front of them.

"It's fantastic, isn't it?" he asked, smiling. She nodded peacefully, then scowled.

"It would be if they'd let me do something."

"Kate," Mike sighed, but instead of continuing just shook his head. Of course, with her injured leg, the council wouldn't let her fight, or even start physical training.

"It's better now," she protested, knowing what he was thinking. "I can walk, I can run..."

"Only just," he pointed out. He knew what her real complaint was. He, Mike, got to start training, and she didn't, and after a week the results were already visible. The muscles in his chest and arms were tightening, and his stamina had improved.

"There was a time when I though we were pretty fit. You know, considering how we were always running away from Alphae."

"I think the Alphae may have dropped their entry standards," Kate murmured. She watched as a group of young rebels timed each other through an obstacle course. It looked like fun. "Forget know your enemy. Just bloody well train harder than them."

"Might work," Mike mused. There was a shout from the field in front of them, and he looked up. Seeing Ty, he waved, and gave Kate a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you soon," he promised. "Stop moping, you'll be out there soon enough."

Kate sighed in frustration as he walked off, falling into easy conversation with Ty. Mike had started making friends. She hadn't. He was able to work with them. She couldn't. Apparently, there would be mission planning soon, preparations for another anti-Alphae attack. Mike could be going. The only certain thing was that she wouldn't be.

She stood and walked away. She didn't need to watch him. She'd had enough of that last night.

He'd been doing push-ups – of all things! – in what had once been a loungeroom, but now didn't have enough furniture to classify as such. After about five minutes, he had seen her watching, and an unspoken competition had begun, to see which would snap first – her control or his stamina.

He'd won. But instead of stopping him with her mouth and hands, as he'd hoped, she had instead snapped at him to stop showing off, and gone to bed early.

Her hands clenched as she walked, her gait stiff as she struggled to hide the limp in her left leg. A moment later, as she walked aimlessly around the town, she relaxed, accepting that she didn't need to hide it while no-one was watching. She could, if necessary, break into a jog, if she worked at ignoring the burning pain in her knee.

What she didn't know was that someone was watching. She was walking past a side-street, when a figure slipped out and began walking alongside her. Startled, she looked at him, then sighed and continued walking, biting her lip in an effort to completely hide the limp.

"No, don't hurt yourself on my account," he said, and she struggled to identify the meaning behind his tone.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied, and he sighed.

"Kate. Your leg's hurting you, and by putting yourself through more pain, it's not going to heal any faster."

"I'm not," she denied flatly. His eyes flashing, he reached out, and grabbed her arm, hauling all her weight onto her left leg. She clenched her teeth together, struggling not to cry out in pain. His expression pained, Jim released her arm, and they continued walking.

"I feel useless," she admitted.

"You're not the first person in the history of this camp to have an injury," he snapped. "Give it two months, and you'll be running around getting yourself shot at again."

"It'll be fine in a week," she replied.

"You need rest. Keep on the meds Jeremy advised, and let it heal."

Kate scowled. They walked in silence for a moment, and Jim was relieved to see her taking most of her weight on her right leg. She didn't really pay attention to where they were going, and glanced up in surprise when she realised they had reached the furthest end of the base. Jim was staring off into the desert, and she swallowed.

"I feel like I don't belong here," she muttered. Jim glanced at her.

"You do. You're just so closed off at the moment, you're not getting to know anyone. You can trust the people here."

Kate nodded, but her expression didn't change. Smirking, Jim added, "You do realise you've dated five percent of this camp?"

Blinking, she turned to him. "How'd you work that one out?" she asked in astonishment. He shrugged, grinning at her.

"Well, I'm only counting the eligible males... there's about... eighty of them. Now, four out of eighty is five percent."

Kate frowned. "Four?" she asked, confused. He tilted his head slightly sideways as he looked at her.

"I heard somewhere you went on a few dates with Chris Jonson..."

Kate gasped. "He's _here_?" she gaped. Jim nodded, and she snorted to herself.

"Well. Okay then. Five percent... no wonder Mike's not happy."

The last part of her sentence was mumbled under her breath, but Jim heard it. For a moment, he hesitated, then took the dive.

"You two have been having problems?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Not so much problems... we're just not used to this. Being around people. It's weird. A week ago... a week ago we were dead. As good as. Now..."

"You'll get used to it," he said comfortingly. She smiled. After arriving at the camp, she and Jim had fallen back into the easy going relationship they had shared after the break up. They had similar tastes and had worked the "just friends" thing remarkably well.

Not _what I'd say concerning other members of this camp..._ Kate mused. Damn. That had ended badly, not only for those involved, but other people, too.

_Damn you, Mike,_ she thought. He could get so jealous sometimes...

"So can you," Jim said, and Kate realised she must have voiced her thoughts. Jim smiled, and she was amazed that even after five years helping coordinate a hunted and outnumbered rebel movement, he still had a sense of humour. Then she realised what he'd said.

"Wait. No I don't," she protested, and he shook his head, hiding a laugh.

"Sure you don't. Tell me you're not jealous right now."

"What? Who's he with?"

Jim glanced at her, then nodded his head back the way they had come.

"He's not _with_ anyone. Not like that, at least. But he's doing something you're not. You're jealous."

Kate didn't reply immediately. Was it true? Could she be _jealous_ of the fact that he was able to start fighting while she had to sit on the sidelines and wait for her damn knee to heal? It was like a slap in the face. She'd been acting like a spoilt brat for a week.

_What is wrong with me?_ she wondered. Had she lost all sense of human decency? They'd been welcomed with figuratively – and literally – open arms, and she was behaving like a hormonal teenager.

Her thoughts skidded to a halt. _Hell no_, she thought defiantly. _I am _not_ hormonal!_

Seeing that Jim was waiting for an answer, she just shrugged slightly, and he chuckled, turning to look back out at the desert.

"Waiting for someone?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Enjoying the view. Suppose you'd like a bit more water."

"Haven't seen the ocean for about four years," Kate murmured.

"I'll tell you what I saw," Jim said, grinning wickedly, and Kate eyed him warily. "You."

"Me?" she asked, confused. He nodded.

"Internet," he prompted, and she rolled her eyes, looking back out at the red sand stretching away from them.

"Is there anyone who _didn't_ see that?" she muttered. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Half of that I learned from you, by the way."

He merely nodded in reply. For a while, they stood in companionable silence.

"There's a meeting on tomorrow," Jim said vaguely. "You'll get to know people there."

"And what am I going to do there?"

"Listen. Learn."

Ashamed by her sudden flare of temper, Kate nodded, and tried to change the topic. "So what's with the Council thing? Who's on that?"

"Well, there's five at the moment..."

"You're one of them," Kate said, and he nodded.

"There's me, Daniel Horse, Jeremy Locke, Stella Groom, and the bigwig, Joseph McCellan. Apart from them, and the fact that those who've been here longer get a bit more input, there's no ranks, no privileges for certain people. We use first names. Our number one goal is to change things, try something new. Because the old failed."

"So Joseph's in charge?" Kate asked. Jim shrugged.

"He's the closest we've got to an 'in charge'. He makes the major decisions, contacts the other rebel factors if necessary."

"What's he like as a person?"

Jim shrugged. "I know him better than most, and he doesn't open up to me. All I know is that, no matter how hard the decision is, he'll always try for what's best for the whole camp." Jim paused for a moment. "And he's usually right."

Kate nodded, readily absorbing the new information. His thoughts suddenly taken by something else, Jim snorted aloud, and Kate tilted her head questioningly.

"You heard about the Allies latest move?"

Kate nodded. "Sure," she replied, thinking about the news that had filtered through a few days ago. Apparently the Allies had called a ceasefire with the Alphae, time enough to discuss things "like adults".

"You know what it means?" Jim asked, and she frowned. "They're turning into politicians. The game plan is different now."

Kate shrugged. "How does that affect us?"

Jim scowled at the desert. "No-one seems to get it. McCellan does, but no-one else... understands."

"So tell me," Kate said, rolling her eyes slightly.

"It's over," Jim murmured. "It'll take another few months. Maybe a year. But the Allies are giving up."

"How can you tell?"

"Politicians are all the same. It's how we know the Alphae won't last. Nothing has really changed."

Kate felt her breath catch for a moment. "They were never here to save us, were they?"

Jim shook his head. "No. Five years ago, they had a chance. But not now."

"Do we have a chance?" Kate asked. She knew that even if it was a lost cause, she would fight anyway, and so would Mike. They'd run once before, and if they did so again, they'd end up dead sooner or later.

"We do," Jim replied stoically. "Because we're not politicians. We're fighters. It's a new world, and there are new rules."

"I don't like this new world very much," Kate said tightly. She snorted slightly, and shook her head. "Mike and I are criminals. Fugitives."

Jim glanced sideways at her, smiling softly. "You're not fugitives anymore."

He paused, and she had to smile at his next words. For the first time in years, she felt the warmth of belonging.

"You're rebels."


End file.
